Guardiola in ‘no rush’ to extend Man City contract with 18 months ‘a lot of time for a manager’

The Catalan is tied to a deal with the Blues through to the summer of 2021 and has no intention of discussing fresh terms at the Etihad any time soon

Pep Guardiola is in “no rush” to discuss a new contract at Manchester City, with the two-time Premier League title winner considering 18 months to be “a lot of time for a manager”.

That is how long the Catalan coach has left on his current deal at the Etihad Stadium.

Fresh terms were last agreed back in 2018, with that agreement set to take Guardiola through to the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Given the success City have enjoyed during his tenure, including a historic domestic treble last season, the Blues are understandably keen to retain the services of a highly-rated tactician.

Guardiola is, however, giving little away when it comes to his future plans.

Quizzed again on a possible extension, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said: “I think in football one-and-a-half years is a lot of time for a manager.

“We’ll have to see altogether how it works, what is going on. I’ve said many times how incredibly good it is for me here and of course I would like to stay as much as possible.

“So that is my desire, but I want to be sure this is the best for the club, that they want me to stay longer.

“It would be five years at one club and in this competition that is many, many years, so that’s why it’s better to be sure your decision is perfect for both sides.

“There’s no rush. It’s not finishing in three or four months and the club is working perfectly in all departments, so it’s not a problem, honestly.”

City have expressed an interest in thrashing out another agreement with Guardiola, with club chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarek stating in November that he hopes to see a proven performer stay on for “years to come”.

He told Sky Sports: “You know Pep has been an incredible asset to this organisation.

“We can speak about his managerial accomplishments for hours. But I think as a person, as an individual, as a friend, he’s been a core part of what we’ve accomplished here over the last three years.

“He’s very committed. We’re committed to him. We have a great relationship. We have a great environment here.

“The people around him, the team we have in place today, the relationships I have with them, this is really an environment that’s conducive to success for both him and everyone involved in this organisation. So I’m very satisfied with his commitment and our commitment to him and I’m looking forward to the continuity of this for years to come.”