Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola don refuse to give any new clarity about whether he go remain for the club. The 55-year-old man wey dey manage City since 2016 say dem don ask am about this matter many times before. Guardiola get contract wey go last until end of 2026-27 season, after he sign two-and-a-half year deal for November 2024. But City executives don begin move to formally ask Guardiola whether he go stay finish the last year of him contract.
For press conference before City beat Liverpool 4-0 for FA Cup quarter-final, dem ask Guardiola if anybody for club don seek clarification about him future plans. Guardiola answer say, “I spoke about that in the past many, many times.” Dem press am again if the club don directly ask am for decision, but the Catalan manager just repeat say he don talk am before.
Since January, dem don dey ask Guardiola about him future plenty. For Premier League circles, belief dey grow say Guardiola fit likely leave City by end of this season. Enzo Maresca, wey be former City assistant coach, don dey tout as leading candidate to succeed Guardiola. Maresca don even hold preliminary discussions with City hierarchy about taking over at Etihad Stadium.
City demselves dey relaxed about the situation. Dem get contingency plans, including five-candidate shortlist of potential replacements if Guardiola confirm say he go leave this summer. Despite all the speculation, Guardiola don maintain publicly say he dey fully committed to the role. He dey excited about prospect of continuing City rebuild under director of football Hugo Viana with young, hungry squad wey get up to 12 players wey fit leave this summer.
Guardiola don lead City to six Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League crown, and historic domestic treble. Whether him tenure go extend to 11th season remain the biggest question dey hang for Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, for Chelsea side, wahala dey grow with unhappy players behind the scenes. Multiple big names don speak out against the club. Liam Rosenior, Chelsea head coach, dey face in-house issues after Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella slam Blues decision-making. Both players carry plenty influence behind the scenes, and dem don criticize decision to let Enzo Maresca leave. Dem even hint say dem fit be tempted away from Chelsea.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown tell Football Insider say Chelsea fail to squash the issue wey don now turn public spectacle. Both Fernandez and Cucurella don publicly express their frustrations before speaking out. Pressure don now full Chelsea to deal with the players.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness tell Football Insider say Chelsea go hold inquiry into the issues behind the scenes by end of season. After seeing multiple key players vent their issues in public, alarm bells don ring for Stamford Bridge. The owners dey face serious questions now.
The issue don grow inside Chelsea dressing room. Rosenior dey task with easing pressure after he take steps to leave Fernandez out of squad. “Chelsea are in a really difficult position,” Brown talk. “Players are speaking out publicly against the club and decisions that have been made and they’ll have a revolt on their hands if they’re not careful.”
Brown add say Chelsea never do anything to prevent am, and na issue dem create for themselves. “It should have been nipped in the bud at the first sign of discontent,” he yarn. “All of the players who have now spoken publicly have been frustrated for a long time and that will have been known behind the scenes at Chelsea. But they did nothing to deal with it, and now the manager is being made to address it.”
Amid growing concerns for Chelsea dressing room, questions don arise about whether Rosenior na the right man to deal with these high-profile issues. He don take steps to remove Fernandez from him squad, wey the player agent don publicly criticize. But Rosenior dey stick to him guns.
Wyness talk for 2 April say Chelsea dey ask questions about Rosenior and fit opt to move in new direction by summer. The situation behind the scenes for Stamford Bridge don become difficult for the boss to handle, although he insist say he dey dealing with the concerns.
Chelsea don dey keen to support Rosenior, at least for public, but ongoing issues and new concerns emerging don raise fresh doubts about him position.
The Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards talk say Saturday FA Cup quarter-final demolition of Port Vale na “perfect result” for Rosenior, but Chelsea “may well have a problem this summer with some of their senior players wanting to leave.”
Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, wey Rosenior leave out of squad for Saturday, go also miss next Sunday match against Manchester City after “crossing the line” with recent comments wey cast uncertainty over him future.
“I’m impressed with that, it’s strong,” Edwards talk for BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. “There will be some who think it’s maybe still not strong enough and that Fernandez shouldn’t play again until he apologises but I doubt very much that is going to happen.”
Edwards add say Rosenior don have difficult spell, as dem expect when he enter that job with unbalanced squad wey get too many young players and not enough experience. “It was a perfect result for him, it gives them an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to which is positive and much-needed.”
But Edwards warn say wider issue na say Chelsea fit get problem this summer with some senior players wey want leave. Fernandez comments come same week another senior figure, Marc Cucurella, give interview wey he question club hierarchy decision to part ways with Enzo Maresca.
“Cucurella has voiced his displeasure at some of the things that have happened there this season,” Edwards add. “Fernandez is fluttering his eyelashes at Madrid in the hope they come in for him. There’s constant noise which I suspect will get louder about Cole Palmer wanting out as well.”
Edwards explain say this na the problem Chelsea and BlueCo get when dem run club like business. “They’ve recruited all these players on long-term contracts but it’s a short career. These players might not see that they’re going to win the big prizes at Chelsea so they might want out.”
He conclude say, “It’s going to be another intriguing summer because they do need to overhaul that squad but they won’t want to lose their senior and most experienced players. But, that’s easily what could happen.”
Liam Rosenior press conference before Chelsea FA Cup tie against Port Vale turn more dramatic than many people expect. The Chelsea head coach reveal say Enzo Fernandez no go feature for club next two matches—one of them na important Premier League match against Manchester City.
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