Guardiola Denies Break Clause in Manchester City Contract

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has dismissed reports that his contract contains a break clause that would allow him to leave the club at the end of the season.

Guardiola signed a new deal the previous year keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until 2021, but reports had suggested he could walk away 12 months early.

Speaking ahead of City’s Premier League clash with Arsenal, Guardiola insisted there was no such clause and reiterated his desire to remain with the champions.

“No, it is not true,” Guardiola said. “I spoke about that a few weeks ago, about my intentions for the club.”

The Spaniard added that he had no reason to consider leaving despite City’s difficult campaign, with Liverpool holding a 14-point advantage at the top of the Premier League.

“I want to stay. I don’t have any reasons to move,” he said. “I am incredibly satisfied to work with this club, with these players.”

Guardiola said he welcomed the challenge facing his team and insisted poor results would not force him to resign.

“If the club wants me next season, I want to be here 100 percent,” he said. “I want to live in this city because I know lovely people here and I want to work and live with them.”

City were going through one of the most difficult periods of Guardiola’s three-and-a-half-year spell at the club. The manager and players also decided not to attend the club’s Christmas celebrations after returning late from their Champions League trip to Zagreb.

Guardiola explained that the demanding schedule and the need to prepare for the Arsenal match influenced the decision, with players preferring to recover and spend time with their families.

The City manager also expressed confidence in teenage midfielder Phil Foden despite his limited Premier League opportunities.

Foden had started only four matches in all competitions that season and was competing for places with experienced midfielders including Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Bernardo Silva.

“He has played 50 games and he’s 19 years old, in one of the top teams in Europe,” Guardiola said.

He predicted that Foden would gradually receive more playing time and eventually become a regular member of the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero and John Stones were unlikely to feature against Arsenal, while David Silva remained a doubt for the match.