Pep Guardiola can expect to be supported the January transfer window as a reward for another important commitment to Manchester City at a moment of great symbolic importance for the club.

City have become increasingly confident that Guardiola would choose to stay beyond his current contract since positive conversations with club hierarchy in Abu Dhabi in October, during which – and this is crucial – plans to break with tradition and potentially invest in the next transfer window were also discussed.

Although there was never any pressure on the Catalan to make a decision and no timetable was ever outlined, the November international break always seemed like the time when there would be a some clarity.

Guardiola has decided to stay at City for another year, with the possibility of a further season, in what is a huge show of confidence in his employers as they battle serious Financial Fair Play accusations while navigating a transition to new director of football Hugo Viana.

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The match is seen as a rallying cry to the club’s supporters and players from the world’s most gifted coach that they will not be moved despite the existential threat posed by the 115 charges.

A manager of a rival club said I: “I hoped Pep wouldn’t stay, I expected him to. At the top, nothing could be simpler.”

City are yet to comment on the now widely reported reports of Guardiola’s move, but are expected to confirm details of his new deal soon, likely before the Premier League returns this weekend.

The Manchester City manager will face the press on Friday to preview a crucial home game against Tottenham, and the smart money is subject to some form of official announcement before then.

There were those who thought, after last season and the resounding defeats in the Champions League and FA Cup, that Guardiola’s instinct was to leave.

But City, led by president Khaldoon Al Mubarak, was always going to play a major role in keeping him – especially with the club at a crossroads.

Guardiola will know the symbolic and strategic importance of making his decision early. This will focus the minds of his players – they have I just lost four matches in a row and are five points behind league leaders Liverpool – but also allow the club to consolidate their plans for a significant market decline in the new year.

A midfielder to replicate Rodri’s impact – Atalanta’s Ederson and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi reportedly among options – top shopping list as City hope to make progress on other priorities, including extending Erling Haaland’s contract and renewing that of Kevin De Bruyne. Guardiola’s decision to commit will give both further momentum.

Guardiola’s decision partly reflects his deep connection to the club, but also a sign that he is not yet ready to try his hand at international management, which has been widely seen as his next step.

He I had an offer from England – an opportunity that those close to him say intrigued him – but ultimately left the Football Association hanging as he assessed his next steps.

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He is a manager who relishes solving problems and tackling the next stage of City’s progression as they attempt to consolidate their dominance of domestic football and establish themselves as a contender. Champions League the winners really please.

There appears to be no fear over the sanctions that could be imposed on the club if it is found guilty of a significant number of the 115 accusations either.

While this ongoing affair is taking place in secret, can we read anything into Guardiola’s decision and what it says about City’s confidence in the way the proceedings are going?

The club is certainly optimistic about winning in the ongoing Premier League battle. on transactions with associated parties. It is worth noting that they always insisted that they would be vindicated on all 115 charges – a message conveyed privately to Guardiola as forcefully as it was publicly by the club’s messengers.

The fact that his new contract apparently does not include a break clause if they are relegated due to the accusations is yet another detail that indicates Guardiola is singing to the same anthem as his employers.

After learning of the accusations, Guardiola amusingly said that he would turn to Paul Dickov and Mike Summerbee if the club were relegated – it is not impossible that they would have to rebuild in the lower leagues.

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It was perhaps an indication of City’s confidence that they made it known there was no interest on their part in Ruben Amorim, the prodigious coach of Sportingthen taken over by its city rivals Manchester United to replace Erik ten Hag.

Municipal sources indicated that his favorite style of play – he put Sporting up with a three at the back – pots with the Guardiola-flavored philosophy that is now ingrained at the Etihad from the academies.

But it is the wider message about Guardiola’s continued influence within the club that tells a bigger story.

It is a legacy that will span over a decade – by which time he will have cemented his place as one of the most defining figures in the club’s history.