Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City future ‘decision date set’ ahead of Arsenal Carabao Cup final

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will make a decision on his future after Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, with the boss set to consider his options following the Wembley showdown

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will reportedly determine his future following Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. The 55-year-old has 18 months remaining on his two-year extension after signing fresh terms back in 2024.

According to the Daily Mail, Guardiola will use the Wembley showdown with the Gunners to reflect on what is best for himself and City. In recent months, there has been growing uncertainty regarding his future in Greater Manchester, with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca amongst those considered as a potential successor to the Catalan legend.

City were knocked out of the Champions League by Guardiola's old adversaries, Real Madrid, as Los Blancos triumphed 5-1 on aggregate. Vinicius Jr netted twice in the second leg after Man City's hope of a comeback was dealt a huge blow when Bernardo Silva received a straight red card for handball in the opening period.

The report indicates that City's sporting director Hugo Viana has approached potential successors for Guardiola, with Maresca among those with whom discussions are believed to have occurred.

Planning for life beyond the 55-year-old has increasingly become a topic of conversation at the Etihad Stadium, though his decision to sign an extension in November 2024, amid a challenging spell of results, quietened the speculation.

Guardiola has repeatedly stressed he is under contract at the club until the end of next season and is happy at the Etihad.

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However, with the eight-time Premier League champions facing a nine-point deficit to league leaders Arsenal, Guardiola faces another enormous challenge if he is to secure further silverware for his illustrious trophy cabinet.

Nevertheless, the Daily Mail reports emerged just hours after the City manager described the club's future as "bright" following their Champions League Round of 16 elimination.

He said: "It is difficult once you are 4-0 down and playing 10 men against 11. But we did everything.

"We have an extraordinary team and an extraordinary group of players. The future is bright.

"It's a little bit of a learning [curve] but it should have been 11 against 11. But we never know. Maybe we lose 6-0 but it's a fact."

When asked about his future in January, he said: "I have a contract. I said a thousand million times. It's 10 years here. I will leave one day, but I have a contract."

"I have one more year on my contract. The question of that is [the same as] one or two months ago, but I will tell you again that it is the same answer," he added.