Former Manchester City defender and current academy coach Richard Dunne has provided the latest on Pep Guardiola's future with the Premier League champions amid reports that the FA are looking at the Catalonian coach as a potential new England manager.
It is well-documented that Guardiola is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, and it was reported in May that Man City chiefs are resigned to losing him when his current deal runs out in 2025.
At the same time, the FA are said to be seriously considering Guardiola as a potential permanent successor to ex-England boss Gareth Southgate, having only hired Lee Carsley on a temporary basis for September's UEFA Nations League matches.
However, speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, former Republic of Ireland international Dunne - who made 352 appearances for the Citizens and is now an assistant coach for their Under-18s - said that he has not seen any suggestion from Guardiola that he wants to leave anytime soon.
"Certainly at Man City everyone hopes that he stays there, we want him to stay as long as possible. I've never heard anything or seen anything that suggests that he's in any hurry to leave. He's more than happy," the 44-year-old said.
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Dunne: 'Man City will do everything in their power to keep Guardiola'
"It is the last season of his contract, he's been in this situation before and ended up signing. I'm sure the club will do everything in their power to keep him. I'd imagine that he will stay, I hope he stays."
Since downing tools at Bayern Munich to join the Citizens in 2016, Guardiola has overseen the club's on-field transformation into an all-conquering English team, winning 18 major trophies in total.
The 53-year-old became the first manager to lead his team to four consecutive Premier League title wins in the 2023-24 season, which was their sixth overall, in addition to finally completing City's long-awaited quest for Champions League glory in 2023.
The reigning English champions have also made a perfect start to the 2024-25 campaign with nine points from their first three games of the new season, in spite of the 115 charges looming over their head, the hearing for which begins later this month.
While Guardiola's City boast their 100% Premier League record for 2024-25, England interim boss Carsley masterminded 2-0 victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland in September's international break, becoming just the fourth Three Lions boss to win their first two games in charge.
'England would jump at the chance to hire Guardiola'
Carsley's pleasing start to life in the England chair has heightened speculation that he could be given the job on a permanent basis, but Dunne believes that the FA would jump at the chance to have Guardiola in charge.
"He'd be a good fit for any job, I think everybody would want him. He's proven himself as the best manager over the last decade, he brings a style of football which every manager in the world wants to copy," the Irishman added.
"He just keeps progressing, keeps tweaking things and getting better every season. The fact that he can motivate a side that have won four [consecutive] league titles and the Champions League and they still keep giving everything every weekend, it's exceptional.
"But I can understand whether it's England or any other club in the world, they'd all jump at the chance to have Pep."
Graham Potter, Eddie Howe and Thomas Tuchel have also been heavily linked with the England job since Southgate's resignation, as was Mauricio Pochettino, but the ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss has now been confirmed as the new head coach of a different national team.
Man City return to Premier League action at home to Brentford on Saturday, while England will face Greece and Finland in their next Nations League matches in October.
Richard Dunne was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of Heart Bingo.
Ben Knapton
