Moyes the next Manchester City manager after Guardiola 'accepts record-breaking' exit 'offer'?

Pep Guardiola will offer Manchester City his ‘opinion’ on who should replace him as manager when the time comes, but he says the decision will be the club’s.

Speculation continues to circulate around Guardiola‘s future as he continues in the final year of his Etihad contract.

The Spaniard is yet to decide whether to stay at the club and take his reign into another decade, having overseen a period of ludicrous success since his appointment in 2016.

The FA sounded out Guardiola over the England job but the Spaniard has been steadfast in keeping his comments on the situation cryptic.

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He did, however, say that he would be willing to offer his input on a successor when necessary, although he would not go the whole hog in copying Sir Alex Ferguson when he anointed David Moyes the Chosen One at Manchester United in 2013.

“Of course, with the relationship I have, if they ask me I will give my opinion but it is not my job. The decision will be taken by them, not by me. It belongs to the club,” Guardiola said.

“I would give my opinion as a friend, having shared unbelievable moments together, but it has to be the club. I would say the new sporting director, the moment I’m not here any more, has to choose.”

Some feel that the imminent departure of long-term friend and confidante, Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain, provides a hint that Guardiola will be leaving soon.

Begiristain will retire next summer and his own replacement has already been named in Hugo Viana of Sporting.

While Guardiola still kept things close to his chest, he opened up on his relationship with Begiristain.

“The reasons I came here were: one for the potential for the future, but especially because a few friends like Ferran and Txiki were here.

“At the time I didn’t know my chairman and my owner, the players or the backroom staff, but I knew them and for me to have the hierarchy to support me was not a surprise.

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“I worked with them, especially with Txiki in Barcelona and I knew always we would try to find a solution, not to blame what is going on.

“That’s why you appreciate in the bad moments that all managers have, how close the people above are to you. This is what happened.

“Part of me is leaving. A friend of mine, an architect who created one of the best teams at Barcelona and here. Personally he will be missed a lot.

“He made me balanced in this job. I’m so energetic and when we lose I want to destroy everything and he always said ‘take a moment’.

“We have to move on, and the club will move on.”

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