Pep Guardiola wants his Manchester City future to be resolved “in a natural way” as he approaches the end of his contract.
The Spaniard is keen to stay with the Premier League champions and will hold talks with the club before his deal at the end of the 2022-23 season.
There is no rush on the manager’s part to commit, however, and he says it would be a mistake to “force” any agreement.
Ahead of his seventh season in charge, Guardiola suggested City would be within their rights to look elsewhere if the team and boss under-perform.
“It depends on results,” Guardiola said.
“I wouldn’t change my life here one second. It’s seven seasons already. We’ve spoken with the club and at the middle of the season, at the end of the season, we’ll talk again how we feel, and we’ll decide the best for the club.
“I said many times I will extend if they want it. I would like to stay longer, and at the same time they have to be sure. It’s many years already and I have to see the players, how they behave.
“I don’t want to be a problem. Sometimes when you extend things, you force it and it’s not good. These kind of situations happen when it’s going to happen in a natural way. If you force it, it’s not going to happen.
“We’ll see what happens during the season, how we feel, and the best [decision] for the club is going to be taken.”
Not long now! @premierleague #ManCity pic.twitter.com/Gho8H78CPJ
— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 4, 2022
City start the new Premier League campaign at West Ham on Sunday.
Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach Guardiola has led City to four league titles in the past five seasons, and guided the team to the 2021 Champions League final, when domestic rivals Chelsea denied them the trophy.
