City will target sustained success

Manuel Pellegrini (front) and his successor Pep Guardiola

MANCHESTER City will set their sets on sustained success at the highest level after landing manager Pep Guardiola.

City have announced the outgoing Bayern Munich and former Barcelona boss, arguably the most coveted manager in world football, will join them in the summer. The 45 year old has signed a three–year contract and will replace Manuel Pellegrini, who will step aside at the end of the season.

City have long seen Guardiola as the man to take them to the next level at home and in Europe and their capture of the two–time Champions League winner ends a long pursuit.

The club revealed they first tried to bring in the Spaniard when he left the Nou Camp in 2012 – a fact Pellegrini was aware of when he was appointed.

Guardiola won 14 trophies in four seasons in charge at Barca and has twice won the Bundesliga with Bayern. His appointment – which could catapult City into yet another league in terms of player recruitment – is arguably the biggest statement of the Sheikh Mansour era. The news ends much speculation over the futures of Guardiola and Pellegrini, although the timing of the announcement came as a surprise.

Confirmation came at the end of a standard press conference about tonight’s league game at Sunderland, when, Pellegrini revealed he would not be taking up the year’s extension to his contract.