Pep Guardiola Skips Bayern Munich Press Conference Amid Manchester City Rumours

Rumours Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola is set to become the next Manchester City boss continue to intensify, and speculation will only increase after the Spaniard skipped a press conference ahead of the Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin.

As reported by talkSPORT, Guardiola was supposed to meet with the media ahead of Saturday's match, but instead, centre-back Jerome Boateng fielded questions.

The snub comes at a time of uncertainty for Guardiola and Bayern, as the former Barcelona coach looks ever more likely to leave the Bavarians to join Manchester City.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has already confirmed the club and manager will come to a decision in December, and he didn't sound very optimistic, per ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld:

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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 a late, just days before Christmas. But the talks will be held after the Hannover match, and we'll then announce a decision.

It always continues. There is no person in this world who can't be replaced at some point. That's the state of things. Players come, players go, and the same applies to coaches. They come and they go at one point.

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Guardiola's contract runs until the end of this season, so he would be free to open talks with other clubs in January.

The Catalan has been in charge of the Bundesliga giants since 2013, winning back-to-back German titles. He made his mark as one of the sport's top managers with Barcelona, where he won the Champions League twice as a manager and added three La Liga titles, but his spell with Bayern has shown his style can work outside of Spain.

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Current City manager Manuel Pellegrini has found success at the Etihad since taking the job in 2013, but he's yet to guide the Citizens to European silverware. If he fails to do so again in 2015-16, the Citizens may decide to hand someone else the opportunity.

Guardiola has every reason to stay in Munich, where he gets to work with one of the best squads in Europe every day and is almost guaranteed to win at least one trophy every season. But the opportunity to prove himself in a third top league could be too much to pass up, and Spanish football expert Guillem Balague thinks Bayern have no idea what he will do, per Sky Sports:

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I will tell you what they think at Bayern. They have no idea what he has decided or if he has decided. Rummenigge keeps changing his deadline to him. There is a AGM tonight and he had said he would have his signature to show them, but it is not the case. 

Now he is talking about January and also suggesting there is life without Pep. The club wants an answer and is not getting it. City, on the other hand, think that if Pep comes to the Premier League, it will be to them. So we will see. 

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With Rummenigge already telling reporters everyone is replaceable and Guardiola skipping press conferences and not committing himself to the project, it seems likely the Bavarians will have to start looking for another manager very soon.

Just about every top manager in the world would jump at the opportunity to guide the giants from Munich, and former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly leads the Germans' wish list, per Spanish radio station Cope (h/t Independent's Tom Sheen).

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