No break clause in City contract - Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola [Courtesy]

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied reports that his contract contains a ‘break clause’ that could allow him to leave at the end of the season.

The Spaniard signed an extension last year until 2021 but with City’s hopes of a third successive Premier League title now looking remote, questions have been raised about his future.

Asked whether he could be released from his contract at the end of the season, Guardiola said: “No it’s not true. I already spoke about that, about my intentions with the club.”

Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016 and after a trophy-less first season he has delivered two league titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup to the Etihad Stadium.

This season, however, his star has waned with Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp taking centre stage with his side eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and 14 ahead of City who have slipped below Leicester City into third place.

Klopp agreed a contract extension until 2024 on Friday.

“I congratulate him and Liverpool, he deserves it,” Guardiola told reporters at his news conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Arsenal. “I think it’s really good for the Premier League he can continue here.”

Guardiola’s immediate priority will be to get his side back on track against Arsenal, having suffered defeat in last weekend’s Manchester derby.

Arsenal, under caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg, ended a nine-match winless sequence by beating West Ham United in the Premier League on Monday and drew 2-2 with Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday.

“We watched the games with (former manager) Unai (Emery) and the games with Ljunberg and try to figure out what they will do against us,” Guardiola said.

Midfielder David Silva is a doubt for the clash.

“He’s not fit now, but maybe tomorrow he will train and we’ll see. He had a kick on his leg, it’s not painful,” he said.