Pep Guardiola ‘receives call’ from national team as most likely job after Man City emerges

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been tipped to make a switch to international management with Brazil, following England’s failed pursuit of him.

The Football Association made Guardiola a top target to replace Gareth Southgate but he showed no interest in joining the Three Lions at the time.

The 53-year-old coach has less than a year remaining on his contract and although Man City are keen to tie him down to an extension, speculation regarding his future is mounting.

Guardiola has previously said he has ambitions of managing an international team and has repeatedly told the press that he has not made his mind up on his future at Man City.

He was linked with the Brazil job in 2013 after he left Barcelona and was reportedly left frustrated when they decided to appoint Luiz Felipe Scolari instead. According to The Athletic, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) has called Guardiola on several occasions this year to gauge whether he’s still interested in taking the job.

There is a feeling that he could sign an extension at Man City. The report claims Guardiola may manage the club for one more year, which would give him four seasons to prepare for the 2030 World Cup, rather than the limited amount of time he’d have taking over a national team ahead of 2026.

He has given little indication on what his decision will be, with his future still up in the air despite Brazil’s apparent overtures.

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Guardiola is getting ‘itchy feet’

Keith Wyness believes Pep Guardiola could give Manchester City one more year in order to let new director Hugo Viana settle in, but the manager is “getting itchy feet” as he knows there are “new challenges waiting for him”.

with new director Viana only just arriving at the club, Wyness believes Guardiola could stay for another season to simplify that transition.

“Pep has been sending out mixed signals recently, positive and negative,” Wyness told Football Insider. “With Hugo Viana coming in, the way I’m reading it is that he might do another year.

“That then gives Viana the time to settle in and work on the succession plan.”

The bookmakers have already begun speculating on who Guardiola’s replacement would be should he decide to leave Man City.

His assistant Michel is the Bookies’ current favourite, while Xabi Alonso, Vincent Kompany and Mikel Arteta are also among the favoured candidates.

Man City remain fully focused on convincing Guardiola to pen fresh terms for now, but it does seem like he could take on a new challenge in the not too distant future.

Man City round-up: Wirtz eyed / Quenda interest revealed

Meanwhile Man City are keeping close tabs on Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz as they prepare for the likely departure of club icon Kevin de Bruyne next summer.

Bayern Munich are seriously considering a move for the 21-year-old attacking midfielder and are considered the Cityzen’s biggest rivals in the race for his signature.

Leverkusen certainly won’t let the German superstar leave on the cheap, though, with a bid of at least £90m (€107.2m / $117m) required for them to even consider a sale.

In other news, sources have exclusively revealed to TEAMtalk that Man City have shown concrete interest in Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda.

The 17-year-old provided an assist in Sporting’s 4-1 victory over Man City on Tuesday and his performances have caught the eye of many sides.

We understand that Ruben Amorim is keen on a reunion with Quenda at Old Trafford, while Liverpool, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus have also shown interest in him.

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