Pep Guardiola successor theory emerges over Man City exit clause

Vincent Kompany has signed a new contract with Bayern Munich until 2029, with the club keen to fend off interest from Manchester City when Pep Guardiola leaves

Vincent Kompany was handed a fresh Bayern Munich contract to fend off any potential interest in the manager from Manchester City when Pep Guardiola eventually departs the club, according to former Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann.

Kompany recently signed a deal that keeps him at the club until 2029, despite having two years left on his previous agreement.

The City legend was brought in by the Bundesliga powerhouses in May 2024 and secured the title in his debut campaign with the club.

The Belgian's team are leading the way once more this term and boast a flawless record following seven fixtures, with Kompany's reputation now reaching new heights after beginning his managerial journey with Anderlecht and Burnley.

City manager Guardiola penned an extension at the Etihad in November 2024 and remains tied to the club until 2027.

Their previously aligned contract end dates could have offered Kompany the ideal opportunity to return to the club where he won four Premier League titles as a player.

Therefore, whilst Kompany's agreement might serve as recognition for an encouraging period, former City, Liverpool, and Newcastle midfielder Hamann believes Bayern are safeguarding their asset, though the pundit isn't dismissing the chance of a clause that would enable Kompany to become Guardiola's replacement.

"FC Bayern extended Kompany's contract until 2029, even though he still had 20 months left on his contract. I mean, the extension wasn't a must, but I understand why they did it," Hamann told Sky Germany.

"Bayern probably have in mind that Manchester City will be interested in Kompany at some point when Pep Guardiola retires. It would be interesting to know if Kompany has a clause in his contract.

"Christoph Freund didn't reveal anything about that on Wednesday evening, but he didn't completely deny it either."

Kompany wasn't bothered about when fresh terms were put forward.

The 39-year-old was solely focused on preventing any disruptions throughout the campaign.

"I didn't really think about the timing; I was too busy preparing for the games," he said. "Then the proposal came up, and my only request was that it doesn't become a big topic and that we could quickly refocus on the next game.

"It probably surprised you [journalists] more than me. It was important to me that there were no big discussions, no speculation, just a quick and clear answer."

Club president Herbert Hainer described the agreement as a resounding endorsement of their boss.

"The contract extension with Vincent Kompany is a strong vote of confidence from the club after the great job he's done up to now, as well as a clear sign for continuity and stability at Bayern," he said.

"Vincent is held in high regard by the players, the club management and the fans. We're happy about the early extension of our cooperation."