Pep Guardiola confirmed as Manchester City's next manager on a three-year deal after Manuel Pellegrini announces he's leaving this summer
- Man City lining up Pep Guardiola has been an open secret for months
- Manager Manuel Pellegrini will leave the Etihad in the summer
- Guardiola will replace Pellegrini at the club on a three-year contract
- Manchester City confirmed the news in a statement on Monday afternoon
- Pellegrini insists club didn't go behind his back when talking to Guardiola
Pep Guardiola will be in the Premier League next season after signing a three-year contract with Manchester City.
The Bayern Munich boss will take over from Manuel Pellegrini on July 1 after the current manager revealed he was leaving the Etihad Stadium.
The 44-year-old Guardiola was in major demand across the continent, with Manchester United and Chelsea believed to be in the hunt, and the fact that he snubbed City’s main Premier League rivals serves as a major coup for owner Sheik Mansour.
Pep Guardiola, training on Monday, has had his move from Bayern Munich to the Premier League confirmed
Guardiola has agreed a three-year deal to take over as manager of Manchester City in the summer
City boss Pellegrini, speaking ahead of facing Sunderland, has confirmed he will leave at the end of the season.
Louis van Gaal’s position at United remains precarious, while Chelsea are still on the hunt for Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor.
Sir Alex Ferguson met Guardiola in New York in 2012 when he left Barcelona and since intimated that he was his first choice to take the reins. Guardiola went on sabbatical for a season before committing to Bayern Munich.
Guardiola is the best-paid manager in world football and ready to pocket more than the £14.8million he is currently on at Bayern.
He boasts a formidable managerial record after clinching a staggering 14 trophies in four years at the Nou Camp, including two Champions League titles. He has since won two Bundesliga titles at Bayern.
It is the continent’s premier competition which City really want to target in the coming years and they see the Spaniard as a perfect appointment to continue making progress in Europe.
Guardiola revealed he would leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season back in December
Manchester City manager Pellegrini celebrates with the 2014 Premier League title at the Etihad Stadium
HOW SPORTSMAIL LED THE WAY
Pellegrini announced that he would be departing while previewing the trip to Sunderland this week and insisted the club had not gone behind his back in pursuit of Guardiola.
‘Before I finish, I want to tell you I have talked with the club and I will finish my contract on the original date,’ he said.
‘I signed for one year more, but with the clause, the club or me can choose not to use that stuff now so I finish here on the original date, June 30, so there is not the speculation.
‘The club are not doing anything behind me, I knew this one month ago, but I don't think it's good to have rumour or speculation about these things, so I prefer to finish today, which is why I have told the players and I have told the press. I also spoke to the club two weeks ago and said that I would do it.’
A City statement read: 'Manchester City can confirm that in recent weeks it has commenced and finalised contractual negotiations with Pep Guardiola to become MCFC head coach for the 2016-17 EPL season onwards.
'The contract is for three years. These negotiations were a re-commencement of discussions that were curtailed in 2012.
'Out of respect for Manuel Pellegrini and the players, the club wishes to make its decision public to remove the unnecessary burden of speculation.
'Manuel, who is fully supportive of the decision to make this communication, is entirely focused on achieving his targets for the season ahead and retains the respect and commitment of all involved with the leadership of the club.'
Pellegrini will be confident of leaving Manchester on a high with his side currently in with a shout in four competitions this season.
Pellegrini is all smiles as he holds the Capital One Cup following victory over Sunderland at Wembley in 2014
City's desire to appoint Guardiola had been an open secret and the club confirmed the deal on Monday
They sit second in the Premier League table, three points behind Leicester City having secured victory in 13 of their opening 23 league games this season.
The Chilean's squad are also through to the Capital One Cup final where they will take on Liverpool, looking to win it for the second time in three years.
On Saturday City also kept alive dreams of lifting the FA Cup at Wembley with young Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho grabbing a hat-trick against Aston Villa to secure progression.
In fact Pellegrini's side are still in the running for an incredible four trophies, with Dynamo Kiev standing in their way in the Champions League last 16.
Guardiola himself arrives with quite the record having secured multiple trophies during his time with Spanish giants Barcelona and Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich.
The former Spain midfielder won three La Liga titles as well as two Champions League trophies during his time with Catalan club, a side he made more than 260 appearances for.
Guardiola replaced Jupp Heynckes at Bayern when he called it a day as boss of Barca. Any fears about him being successful in Germany were short-lived with Guardiola winning the league, the German Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in his first season.
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