US pundit claims Pep Guardiola is ‘looking for a way out’ at Man City

The ongoing season is one of Manchester City’s most underwhelming runs since head coach Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016.

Guardiola has been dealing with several injured key players throughout the campaign, which was marred with disappointing results and eliminations across competitions. This situation has left City to fight for a top-five finish in the Premier League to secure a Champions League spot for the next season.

Undoubtedly, Guardiola had a lot on his plate in the past months, with the Catalan manager admitting that this season has been the ‘most difficult’ than any other. He has also mentioned that he will surely take a break after his tenure at Etihad is over.

Speaking after Man City’s 3-1 win against Bournemouth on May 20, Guardiola revealed that he had told club authorities what he does not ‘want’ or else he will ‘quit.’

“I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad]. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play,” said Guardiola.

While these comments raised quite a few eyebrows, US pundit Steve Nicol has suggested that Guardiola could be trying to solidify his path of departure from Man City.

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What did US pundit Steve Nicol say about Pep Guardiola’s potential exit from Man City?

While speaking on ESPN FC about Guardiola’s recent comments, Nicol suggested (comments via Manchester City News) that the 59-year-old’s ultimatum could be him looking for a way out of the Etihad.

“The strangest thing, by the way, why is he saying ‘if they do, I’ll leave’. Why would you say,” said Nicol.

When asked if Guardiola’s demands are reasonable, Nicol backed the Catalan coach by providing the example of Chelsea’s overpopulated squad.

“Of course you do. It’s the same situation that we complain about Chelsea. They had too many so-called first team players, and so to try and mold a unit together with all the other stuff that you need, you know, the togetherness and the trust, all of those things that are not football related on the field, it’s very difficult, and we’ve seen that at Chelsea over the last three years,” he said.

However, the former Liverpool defender still held onto his point and added,

“But as I said, to turn around and say ‘if they do that, I’m going to leave’, that smacks of somebody who’s trying to open the door for himself, to me. It doesn’t make any sense.”

While his current contract at Etihad is valid until the end of June 2027, it remains to be seen if Guardiola makes a different decision this summer.

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