By MARK RYAN
Pep Guardiola has told friends he wants to sort out his footballing future in January or February — which will leave one top Premier League manager as a dead man walking.
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is already having to defend himself against suggestions that the arrival of ex-Barcelona staff Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain as chief executive and sporting director means Guardiola’s appointment is also imminent.
But Mancini won’t be alone in looking over his shoulder.
Roberto Di Matteo may suspect his days at Chelsea are numbered if Roman Abramovich realises that he must move this winter to secure his dream coach.
And even the fading Arsene Wenger might feel it is time to step aside if he knows this is Arsenal’s big chance to recruit Guardiola.
A source close to former Barcelona coach Guardiola said: ‘Pep is definitely coming back into football next season and he wants to have his future decided in this coming January or by February at the latest.
‘He won’t take over at his next club until the summer. But things have to happen long before then. When you are a top coach, you don’t wait until the summer. You want to see moves being made to start shaping your new club your way. You want transfer targets identified early. Long before the new season starts, Pep will want to know that his future is clear and his new club is on the same wavelength as him.
‘Pep is in New York for a year and you can imagine how good his English will be by the time he comes back into football, so the Premier League is a very strong option for him.’
