City believe Catalan tired of the politics at Barcelona and Bayern Munich
• Toni Kroos and Paul Pogba among targets but Vincent Kompany will stay
Manchester City want Pep Guardiola to stay beyond his three-year contract andbuild a dynasty, with the club confident he will enter the best working environment of his managerial career.
However, a plan is in place should Guardiola leave at the end of his initial term, which begins on 1 July when he leaves Bayern Munich to replace Manuel Pellegrini. Patrick Vieira, who is in charge at New York City FC, City’s sister club, is considered by the hierarchy as a candidate to take over. As a former City player and coach in the youth structure the view is that he understands the club and the brand of attacking football City demand.
Guardiola ended his tenure as Barcelona coach in 2012 after four years and will complete three seasons at Bayern this May. Yet City believe he could stay for longer at the Etihad Stadium.
The view among senior executives at City is that Guardiola tired of the politics at Barça and that he has had to contend with similar issues at Bayern. On joining the Bundesliga champions Guardiola was intent on keeping the midfielder Toni Kroos but the German was sold to Real Madrid in summer 2014, allegedly against the coach’s wishes.
Guardiola is targeting four major summer signings. Kroos, 26, may again be of interest to him, along with Juventus’s 23-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba and two 21-year-old central defenders, Everton’s John Stones and Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte. The Catalan is also interested in Bayern’s Thiago Alcântara, 24, and Borussia Dortmund’s Ilkay Gündogan, who are midfielders.
At City Guardiola will work again with Ferran Soriano, the chief executive, and Txiki Begiristain, the sporting director, the trio having been at Barcelona. Guardiola and Begiristain were former team-mates at the Catalan club and are close friends.
Begiristain has the final call on recruitment, though Guardiola will have considerable input, and the executive does not anticipate issues with this structure.
Despite Vincent Kompany’s latest calf injury, the 14th of his eight years at the club, Begiristain intends to give the captain one more year to solve his fitness problems. Even if Guardiola wanted to offload Kompany, it is Begiristain’s decision and at the moment the 29-year-old will be retained. However, should City receive a particularly high bid Begiristain would consider it.
If Kompany stays but is unable to hold down a first-team place at City, a further option is to explore whether the Belgian would join NYCFC, though this is considered unlikely.
Jason Denayer, the 20-year-old central defender on loan at Galatasaray, was recently informed by Begiristain he will return to City for next season. This is because of the uncertainty regarding Kompany and the disappointing form of Eliaquim Mangala. The 25-year-old cost £42m in summer 2014 but is reckoned to have underperformed and his future is in doubt. Laporte is considered a replacement who could instantly play in the first team, though Denayer would provide competition.
Nicolás Otamendi has also played unevenly since his £32m move last summer but the club would not currently countenance offers. Kevin De Bruyne, who cost £55m, has proved a success and there is contentment with how Raheem Sterling has performed in his first season since a £49m move.
Guardiola is keen to strengthen in midfield with Yaya Touré’s future in doubt. There is no issue between Touré and Guardiola despite the latter selling the Ivorian to City from Barça in summer 2010. However, the executive is largely dismissive of Dimitri Seluk, Touré’s agent.
The club believes Guardiola’s status as the incoming City No1 is providing a considerable edge regarding recruitment. It is understood the Catalan regularly receives calls from representatives of players in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga and other domestic leagues.
As well as Guardiola’s serial success in winning major trophies, his track record of developing younger players was a further reason he was wanted by City. There is confidence Guardiola will sign only high-end players who can make a difference and so will give first-team opportunity to the club’s homegrown footballers. Within five years the hierarchy want half the senior squad to have been reared at the City Football Academy.
Guardiola is expected to evolve the attack-first ethos of the club that Pellegrini has developed in three seasons. The new man will try to retain possession better and play more in the opponents’ half.
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