Pep Guardiola, Manchester City Agree to 2-Year Contract Extension

Manchester City announced Thursday manager Pep Guardiola signed a two-year contract extension through the 2022-23 season. 

City chairman Khaldoon Mubarak released a statement about the new deal:

"Pep's contract extension is the natural next step in a journey which has evolved over many years. It is a product of the mutual trust and respect that exists between him and the entire Club. It also goes to the stability and creativity at the heart of our football operations. Importantly it is a validation of the football structure and philosophy that has been built over more than a decade and to which he has contributed so much."

Guardiola, who took over as the Sky Blues manager in 2016, also commented on the extension:

"I have everything I could possibly want to do my job well, and I am humbled by the confidence the owner, chairman, Ferran [Soriano] and Txiki [Begiristain] have shown in me to continue for two more years after this season. The challenge for us is to continue improving and evolving, and I am very excited and about helping Manchester City do that."

Guardiola has guided City to eight trophies during his four-plus seasons in charge. The club has won the Premier League twice to go along with three League Cup titles, a pair of Community Shield triumphs and one FA Cup.

The Citizens are off to a sluggish start to the current Premier League term, sitting in 10th place with a 3-3-1 record. They're still listed as the favorite to capture the title by FiveThirtyEight, which gives them a 46 percent chance to win the league.

Their form has been better in the UEFA Champions League, where they've opened with three straight wins over Porto, Marseille and Olympiacos. It's been the most elusive trophy for City during Guardiola's tenure, but they're already a virtual lock to reach the knockout stages once again.

The 49-year-old Spanish manager previously won two UCL titles during his time at Barcelona (2008-12) and also coached Bayern Munich (2013-16) before arriving to Etihad Stadium.

His contract extension will make his stint with City the longest of his managerial career.