Pep Guardiola to England, But Which Club?
By Ty Duffy
Pep Guardiola is not renewing his contract at Bayern Munich after this season. He wants his next stop to be in the English Premier League.
Guardiola will be the hottest unaffiliated coach this offseason. His résumé is on par with anyone. He is cruising to his sixth league title in seven combined seasons with Bayern and Barcelona. He has won the Champions League twice and never failed to reach the semifinals. Oh, and he’s still only 45.
Precluding a bizarre scenario, Guardiola will land with one of England’s top four clubs. The top four clubs could all have plausible interest in him. It’s going to be an interesting few months.
Manchester City: Manuel Pellegrini is in the job, for now. But, there’s ample speculation he will be out come the summer. He won the league in 2014. Since, the club has not evolved and often fails to adjust. Ownership will be eyeing the great leap forward in the Champions League that has not come. From a Utilitarian standpoint, Manchester City would offer Guardiola the most to work with.
Manchester United: The Louis van Gaal experiment is running on fumes. United have spent. They’ve seen little return. They don’t have a logical route forward as constituted. Worse, they’ve been flat out boring and insipid to watch. The City job offers greater resources. But, it’s not Manchester United. This is, arguably, the biggest club in the world. They offer a caché their crosstown rivals do not.
Chelsea: The Blues will be in the market for a coach. Money, for Roman Abramovich is, often, no object. London tends to be more attractive for Continental Europeans than the North. That said, Chelsea needs an overhaul. They are 13 points and 10 clubs away from a Champions League place for next year. There’s also the small matter of stability. Chelsea is on its 9th manager since Jose Mourinho was first fired in 2007. There are egos that need to be cleared out. This is not a turnkey.
Arsenal: Arsene Wenger is entrenched. But, he’s turning 66. The past decade has worn on him. Should the Gunners finally win the League, the Frenchman will have proved his point. It would be the opportune time to leave the club on his own terms in excellent standing. Arsenal don’t have the financial clout of the others. But, they have a professional organization, and a talented young squad. He would have to expand on the foundation, not build it.