Pep Guardiola ‘taking over at Manchester City next season’

Barcelona-based paper El Mundo Deportivo claimed Guardiola signed a pre-contract with City yesterday.

Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who is scheduled to start talks with Guardiola next month, shocked fans yesterday when asked about his manager’s future.

“No one is irreplaceable,” he said. “Players come and go and it is the same for coaches.

“The coaches come in and at some point they leave. If Guardiola leaves another exceptional coach will come in.’

Bayern are still keen to keep Guardiola but this was the first indication that they may already be thinking about having to replace him.

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is rumoured to be the favourite to take over should Guardiola leave.

Bayern will not sit down with Guardiola until after they play Hannover on December 19 and Rummenigge added: “It is not planned to push back that date.

“We have always said there will be a decision in 2015. I know that it’s late, just days before Christmas, but the talks will be held after the Hannover match, and we’ll then announce a decision.

The presence of Guardiola’s friend Txiki Begiristain at City, where he is director of football, is a major lure. The pair worked together at Barcelona along with Ferran Soriano, who is now chief executive at the Etihad.

City have qualfied for the knockout stages of the Champions League and are two points behind Premier League leaders Leicester.

Pellegrini won the title in his first season at City but they finished second to Chelsea last term.