Pep Guardiola deciding to extend his stay at Manchester City could be good news for them in more than one sense.
The City manager is set to sign a new rolling one-year deal, putting an end to the huge uncertainty over his future.
The contract extension does not have a break clause, implying that the club are confident of winning the battle with the Premier League.
City are under investigation for 115 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-year period which saw them win three league titles. They deny all the charges against them.
As the new deal does not include a break clause in the event of relegation, Guardiola would therefore have to resign and give up a portion of his salary in doing so.
He had previously said he would leave the club if he were to find out they’d lied to him.
However, journalist and Manchester City fan Bill Burrows pointed out that this does not mean he would step down ‘if they are found guilty’ as Guardiola may still believe the club are innocent.
Guardiola joined City in 2016 and has since won 18 trophies throughout his tenure there, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League.
The 53-year-old’s contract extension was a big relief to City fans, particularly after the club eyed Ruben Amorim as a replacement, who has since made the move to their city rivals, Manchester United.
The club have been in somewhat of a sticky patch in recent weeks, losing four consecutive matches across all competitions for the first time under Guardiola.
Further to this, the looming outcome of the 115 charges for alleged breaches of financial rules has taken a toll on the narrative around the treble-winning side.
Guardiola had previously pointed out that he would stick with the club, even if they were ‘relegated to League One’.
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Manchester City host Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday before a top-of-the-table clash with Liverpool at Anfield the following weekend.
Guardiola’s side enter the Tottenham clash off the back of four successive defeats across all competitions, including against Spurs in the Carabao Cup.