Manuel Pellegrini out, Pep Guardiola in at Manchester City

Manuel Pellegrini press conference (via Manchester City Facebook)

In two seasons at Manchester City, Manuel Pellegrini has led the Citizens to a Premier League trophy and currently has the squad sitting in second place.  However, the manager is currently expected to be fired after this season.  His time at City has been good, but expectations are great at the Etihad.  With two seasons ending in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City are looking for a manager that could get the team over this hurdle and into the later stages of the competition.  Could the perfect replacement be Pep Guardiola?

Since the early part of 2015, rumors have been circulating that Manuel Pellegrini would be fired at the end of the season.  After becoming the first non-European manager to win the Premier League in 2014, the Citizens failed to defend their title or earn a trophy in any competition in 2015.  The major downfall for Pellegrini has been the struggles in the UEFA Champions League.  The massive investment at the club has led investors and fans to expect more than just an appearance in Europe’s most prestigious competition.

Momentum has been gaining around rumors of Pep Guardiola leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season to join Manchester City.  The Mirror reports that Manchester City “are confident” they will land Guardiola at Manchester City.  Guardiola has stated that he would like to coach in the Premier League.  Manchester City Chief Executive Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain worked closely with Guardiola at Barcelona and maintain a relationship with the current Bayern Munich manager.

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Recently, it appears that the Bayern Munich manager has lost touch with the players in Germany.  After clinching the Bundesliga title, Bayern has struggled to regain their form.  The club lost in the semi-final of the German Cup to Borussia Dortmund and lost the first leg of their Champions League semi-final to Guardiola’s former club, FC Barcelona.

The interesting twist to the story appears to be, what will happen if Guardiola doesn’t come to Manchester City.  Reports suggest that if Guardiola does not join the Citizens, Pellegrini will likely keep his job as manager for next season.  However, Guardiola would be the perfect fit for Manchester City.  The manager has led two different teams to UEFA Champions League glory and would love to add Manchester City to that list.  The addition of one of the best managers on the planet would immediately transform the squad into UEFA Champions League contenders.

Next: Is Wilfried Bony's time running out at Manchester City?