Pep Guardiola’s future at Manchester City is under scrutiny again in 2026. With his contract until 2027, why are exit talks heating up? We look at the latest rumours, his comments, and what might happen next.
Pep Guardiola Exit Rumours 2026: Will He Leave Manchester City This Summer?
Pep Guardiola has been at Manchester City for almost a decade. He turned the club into a winning machine that collects trophies like most people collect coffee cups. Beyond the constant updates from all today’s live soccer scores, the biggest question in football right now is a simple one. Is he actually getting ready to walk away from everything he built in January 2026?
He signed a new contract in late 2024. That deal runs all the way to the summer of 2027. Pep has repeated many times that he feels happy here and wants to stay. He always adds that results will decide everything in the end. Still, the rumours keep coming back, and this time they feel louder than usual.
What Keeps Fuelling The Speculation
Ciudad de Manchester have not had an easy ride lately. Last season ended without any major silverware, which almost never happens under Pep. This campaign started rough, too. Heavy losses in Europe, points dropped in the league, and a proper dip in form during the first weeks of 2026. Whenever the team struggles, people immediately start wondering whether the manager still has the same hunger.
Several reports claim the club is already thinking about life after him. That sounds strange when you remember his contract still has more than a year left. People inside the building talk about backup plans. Names like Xabi Alonso get mentioned in quiet conversations. Even chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak had to answer direct questions about Pep’s future during a public appearance at Davos. Bad timing when cameras catch those moments.
You also get commentators like Richard Keys on beIN Sports saying Pep could be days away from walking out. Pep responded sharply in a press conference. He basically asked if people wanted to sack him when old links to Enzo Maresca surfaced again after Maresca left Chelsea. He sounded annoyed, but he made one thing very clear. He decides when he leaves. Nobody else gets to push him out the door.
People close to him point out something important. Pep has never broken a contract in his whole career. Not at Barcelona, not at Bayern, and not here. He has earned huge trust after delivering 18 major trophies or more by this point. If he does leave in the summer of 2026, it will be completely his choice. Most likely after seeing how the current season finishes.
The Biggest Things To Keep An Eye On
A few developments could change the whole picture pretty quickly. Here is what stands out the most.
The Honest Truth Right Now
Nobody outside Pep’s inner circle knows what will actually happen. He holds most of the cards here. He created something extraordinary at City. Six Premier League titles, the long-awaited Champions League in 2023, domestic trebles, broken records. Leaving would be massive news. But he has never been the type to hang around once he feels the energy fading.
For the moment, City need to turn things around on the pitch. They need to get the performances back to the level everyone expects and play like the dominant side we saw for years. As they push for that crucial win, fans everywhere will switch to mobile livescore to track their fight in real time. If they manage that, the noise around his future might calm down for a while. If not, the summer of 2026 could mark the end of one of the greatest eras in English football.
Do you think Pep stays, or is this the start of the farewell? The next couple of months should give us clearer answers.
