Pep Guardiola has reportedly agreed to extend his contract with Man City despite legal troubles.
Manchester City have reportedly agreed a deal with Pep Guardiola to extend the 53-year-old Spaniard's contract another year.
His contract was due to expire at the end of the season and this decision ends any speculation about his future, which had included a potential move to international management with England.
Since joining City in 2016, Guardiola has revolutionized the team, guiding them to 18 trophies, including six Premier League titles and a historic Treble.
However, fortunes have turned recently for the Premier League Champions with a downturn in form seeing them suffer four consecutive defeats.
Interestingly Guardiola's contract extension also comes as Manchester City continues to navigate 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial rule breaches, which could lead to significant sanctions if proven - some suggest even as severe as automatic relegation.
With Pep Guardiola agreeing to stay next season, what are the chances of seeing the former Bayern and Real Madrid manager taking on the likes of Plymouth and Hull in the Championship next season?
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Man City Relegation Odds
| Premier League Relegation | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Man City | 12/1 | 6/1 |
Though not yet confirmed, early reports suggest that Pep Guardiola's contract extension does not include a break clause should the Premier League champions be relegated due to financial wrongdoing charges.
Bookmakers are offering prices as low as 6/1 (Boylesport) for the Cityzens to return to the Championship for the first time since 2001.
They can also be found as long as 12/1 with various bookmakers which makes them more likely than 12 other sides including Brentford, Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest to face relegation (based on best prices).
Guardiola has made it clear that his loyalty would remain with Man City even if the club faces relegation due to financial sanctions. Confident in City’s innocence, he has expressed his willingness to continue managing the team in lower divisions if necessary.
If true, this gives arguably the worlds best manager as much as a 14% chance of managing in England's second division next season.
Next Man City Manager Odds
| Manager | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Herrero Michel | 6/1 | 14% |
| Xabi Alonso | 6/1 | 14% |
| Miguel Angel Sanchez Munoz | 10/1 | 9% |
| Vincent Kompany | 12/1 | 8% |
Should Guardiola go back on his earlier comments and depart City if they were to be relegated, a number of potental replacements have been linked with the job.
Michel, the current manager of Girona is one of the frontrunners at a best price of 3/1 with Sky Bet.
Michel has gained recognition for his remarkable work with Girona, a club under the City Football Group umbrella where he achieved a third placed finish in La Liga last season and qualification to the Champions League for the first time.
Xabi Alonso has also emerged as a leading candidate to potentially succeed Pep Guardiola at City at a best price of 6/1 with the same bookmaker.
Alonso led Leverkusen to an extraordinary unbeaten campaign in his first full season as a first-team manager, culminating in their first-ever Bundesliga title.
They also reached the finals of the Europa League and the DFB-Pokal.
Vincent Kompany is the third favourite at a best price of 12/1 with Bet Victor.
After a successful playing career at City, where he captained the club to numerous titles, including four Premier League titles, Kompany has built a promising managerial career.
Following his time at Anderlecht, he moved to Burnley, where he secured the Championship title in his first season and despite being relegated the next season the former Cityzen was snapped up by German Giants Bayern Munich where he is currently top of the table and unbeaten in 10 games.
Pep Guardiola publicly expressed his belief that Kompany could eventually return to manage City when facing Burnley last season, not just due to his legendary status at the club, but because of his quality as a manager.
