Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2027, the Premier League champions said on Thursday.

Spaniard Guardiola’s decision means he will spend more than a decade at the club he joined in 2016 and has led to a dazzling array of silverware, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown.

The news will be welcomed by City’s fans who might have feared the Guardiola era was drawing to a close with his current deal expiring at the end of this season.

“Manchester City means so much to me,” the 53-year-old, who previously had successful spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, said in a statement.

“This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club. That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.”

Guardiola joined Abu Dhabi-owned City in 2016 and has turned them into a trophy-winning machine.

He has guided City to 18 major trophies and established a brand of football that is admired across the globe. This season has brought a slight dip in form, however, and they are on a four-match losing streak, the worst since Guardiola arrived.

“I felt I could not leave now, simple as that,” the manager added. “I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, a chance to bounce back and try to turn the situation around.

“I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it’s the truth.

“I enjoy being here. I like being the manager of this club. The moment I will not have that feeling, even under contract, I will ring my chairman and CEO and say the best for the club right now is I have to leave,” he added.

“I don’t have that feeling right now and that’s why I extended a little bit longer.”

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said in a statement, “Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep’s journey with Manchester City will continue; allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game,”

“His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our Club, and the English game at large.”

British media reported on Wednesday that Guardiola had agreed a one-year extension but his tenure will now stretch past a decade is a massive boost for the club which is under investigation for more than 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-year period.

City deny all the charges against them.

They are five points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League table but Guardiola sounded an upbeat note.

“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much,” he said. “Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”

-Reuters

Manchester United begin what they hope will be a journey back towards their former glory as new head coach Ruben Amorim takes charge for the first time away at Ipswich Town on Sunday.

As the Premier League returns after the international stoppage, United’s trip to Portman Road offers the most intriguing storyline of a packed weekend of action.

While United’s fans will travel to Suffolk with fresh hope after years of decline, Manchester City’s are perhaps still in a state of mild shock at a four-match losing streak.

Champions City, boosted by the news that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension, have fallen five points behind leaders Liverpool, but will aim to return to business as usual at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Liverpool, whose own new era under Arne Slot has begun in sensational style with 15 wins from 17 in all competitions, go to bottom club Southampton on Sunday.

Arsenal, like City, also need an urgent re-boot after a haul of only two points from the last 12 on offer in the league has left them in fourth spot, nine points behind Liverpool.

Amorim, whose Sporting side demolished Manchester City in the Champions League in what was his final home game in charge for the Lisbon club, will need to hit the ground running.

United are languishing down in 13th place with only four wins from their first 11 games, although in a tightly-packed table they are only four points off the top four.

Amorim is the sixth full-time occupant of the Old Trafford hot seat since Alex Ferguson left 11 years ago and he knows the scrutiny will be far more intense than anything he has experienced so far in his coaching career.

“You feel the history and I’m really proud to be Manchester United’s coach,” Amorim told MUTV.

“I think I am where I’m supposed to be. That’s the feeling.”

United will travel to an Ipswich side buoyed by a 2-1 victory at Tottenham before the international break — their first win since promotion back to the top flight.

City’s run of poor form coincided with the loss of several players because of injuries but they could be boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne for the visit of Tottenham.

The Belgian playmaker has started only four of City’s 11 league games this season, with City winning all of them. The other seven garnered only 11 points.

Tottenham have taken inconsistency to new levels this season, beating the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa, but also losing to Crystal Palace and Ipswich.

The north London club have a track record of causing problems for City, although they will be without midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who is serving a seven-match ban for using a racial slur against team mate Son Heung-min.

Third-placed Chelsea begin the weekend’s fixtures on Saturday with manager Enzo Maresca returning to Leicester City who he guided back to the top flight last season.

“I’m excited and thankful (to return), it was a fantastic season,” Maresca said.

-Reuters

The twists surrounding the immediate future of Victor Osimhen are endless, especially given the forward’s impressive form with Galatasaray.

The Napoli loanee, who continues to be linked with potential transfers to several clubs across Europe, was recently associated with a move to Manchester United

According to a report by the media outlet Livescore, the Premier League club is willing to offer Joshua Zirkzee along with a transfer fee in the region of €30 million for the Nigerian striker.

However, amid this fresh report of Manchester United’s keen interest in Osimhen, a new update has emerged, outlining Napoli’s stance on a potential permanent transfer of the forward.

According to a report from the media outlet Tutto Napoli, the Italian Serie A giants are open to selling Osimhen to the Premier League outfit; however, only for a fee and without any players included in the deal.

Reports indicate that a permanent transfer for Osimhen is estimated to command a fee in the region of €80 million.

This fee, however, might pose a slight obstacle to any deal materialising, especially considering that Manchester United, under Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership, has adopted a more prudent approach to transfer dealings.

Amid Manchester United’s interest in the forward, Galatasaray continues to push for the possibility of tying Osimhen to a permanent stay at Rams Park in Istanbul.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Osimhen.

-TUKO.co.ke