Pep Guardiola has put an end to all uncertainty over Manchester City future with a quick stroke of his pen.
His decision to stay at the Etihad for another two years is a huge statement of intent and means the focus will now move away from him and back to his team winning trophies.
Guardiola’s new contract will keep him at the club until 2023 and would mean Guardiola spending seven years at the Etihad Stadium – the same duration as his spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich combined.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insisted any talks over an extension comfortable would be a comfortable conversation and was unsurprisingly delighted at retaining the services of the man he believes to be the best coach in the world.
“Pep’s contract extension is the natural next step in a journey which has evolved over many years,” he said. “It is a product of the mutual trust and respect that exists between him and the entire club.
“It also goes to the stability and creativity at the heart of our football operations.
“Importantly, it is a validation of the football structure and philosophy that has been built over more than a decade and to which he has contributed so much.
Guardiola has always said that the club could choose to get rid of him but, given his track record and the impact he has made in Manchester, City have never even considered showing him the door.
As well as regularly winning trophies, Guardiola has started to consistently bring through academy players, which has been long-held desire at City, ever since they invested heavily in the state-of-the-art Etihad Campus.
Andy Oppong Dankyi 