Man City suffer setback as Guardiola opens Bayern contract talks

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Manchester City’s potential manager hunt took a hit as Pep Guardiola has opened contract talks with German giants Bayern Munich with just a year left on his current deal, reported by The Express.

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The Spanish manager had confirmed that he would see out his contract at Bayern Munich, though this has now been called into question as the Bundesliga champions elect are now talking about extending his current deal beyond 2016.

That said, the presence of former Barcelona directors, where Guardiola is regarded as a legend, Txiki Begirstain and Ferran Soriano, at Manchester City could be vital in securing the services of their target. Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, though played down speculation surrounding his future.

He said, “I don’t worry about that. It just shows the quality of our coach. I also know that Begiristain worked with Pep at Barcelona.

“But I can’t imagine that Pep will join a club like Manchester City. I know for sure that he will be our coach until June 30, 2016 at least.

“We have an agreement. We’ll finish this season and we will talk in the second half of 2015. Our goal is to prolong with Pep Guardiola. And I think that we have good chances he’ll be our coach beyond 2016.”

The fate of current Citizens boss Manuel Pellegrini is very much in the balance, but his job is thought to be safe should he secure a top four finish. The Chilean’s contract runs out in 2016 with chiefs at the Etihad Stadium hoping to bring Guardiola in, should he not sign a new deal for Bayern Munich.

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