Khaldoon Al Mubarak: Man City Hope Pep Guardiola Stays 'For Years to Come'

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has said the club want to keep Pep Guardiola as manager for "years to come." 

Since Guardiola's arrival in 2016, City have been the dominant force in English football, winning back-to-back Premier League titles over the last couple of campaigns. They won an unprecedented domestic treble in the 2018-19 term.

Guardiola has been linked with a possible departure of late, though, with former club Bayern Munich mentioned following the recent sacking of Niko Kovac. However, speaking to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana), Al-Mubarak said City do not want to lose their coach:

"We can speak about his managerial accomplishments for hours. But I think as a person, as an individual, as a friend, he's been a core part of what we've accomplished here over the last three years. 

"He's very committed. We're committed to him. You've seen his interview a couple of days ago. We have a great relationship. We have a great environment here.

"The people around him, the team we have in place today, the relationships I have with them, this is really an environment that's conducive to success for both him and everyone involved in this organisation. So I'm very satisfied with his commitment and our commitment to him and I'm looking forward to the continuity of this for years to come."

Here is more of what Al Mubarak said recently about City and their progress under the incumbent boss:

The City chairman added Guardiola has been an "incredible asset" to the club.

The manager's contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire at the end of next season, and Guardiola has said he is keen to stay in Manchester:

It's easy to see why Guardiola wants to stay at City, as he currently has one of the best squads in the world and is regularly challenging for major honours.

He will still feel as though there is more to come from the team. Not only do they have a nine-point gap to make up on Premier League leaders Liverpool this season, City are also still waiting for their first UEFA Champions League triumph.

Sam Lee of The Athletic thinks if Guardiola stays, the team will require some revamping in the summer:

As such, there are challenges for the City manager to occupy himself with, despite the dominance they've enjoyed lately. For a coach like Guardiola, preserving that intensity in his work feels imperative.

With that in mind, coupled with the desire of key figures in the City hierarchy to keep hold of their manager, it would be a surprise if Guardiola was to be lured by any potential advance from Bayern at the end of the campaign.