The Football Association (FA) has set its sights on appointing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as England’s next national team coach, but concerns loom over his potential involvement in the 115 charges currently facing City by the Premier League.
After Gareth Southgate stepped down as England manager last summer, the FA approached Guardiola to gauge his interest in the role. Though Lee Carsley was appointed as interim manager in September, he has expressed his reluctance to take the job on a permanent basis, and he is expected to step down after the November international break.
With Guardiola’s contract at Manchester City set to expire at the end of the current season, the FA sees him as the ideal candidate to lead the national team. Guardiola has yet to decide whether he will extend his stay at the Etihad, and Manchester City expects an answer from the Spaniard by the end of January.
However, the FA would need to wait until the summer to pursue Guardiola, as he has no plans to leave City before his contract ends. This timeline aligns with the FA’s search for a long-term successor to Southgate, but there is one major stumbling block—the Premier League’s ongoing investigation into Manchester City’s alleged financial misconduct.
The Premier League is expected to conclude its investigation by the end of 2024. Should Guardiola be implicated in any wrongdoing, the FA fears that hiring him could lead to reputational damage, as was the case with Sam Allardyce in 2016, who resigned after just one game following a scandal.
Despite these concerns, the FA remains eager to bring Guardiola on board, viewing him as a “dream” hire. They are reportedly willing to make him the highest-paid international manager in the world to secure his services. The decision on whether Guardiola will take on the England role could shape the future of the national team.
