Pep Guardiola admits this season has been the toughest of his 16 as a manager. The Spaniard has experienced little but success in a glittering career that has taken in glorious spells at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. The going has been much tougher this term as, after four successive Premier League triumphs, City failed to challenge for the title and crashed out of the Champions League prematurely. They can still finish the campaign with the handsome prizes of a top-five spot and the FA Cup, while they have an additional shot at silverware at the Club World Cup.
Yet even if they succeed in these remaining and relatively modest aims, it will not change Guardiola’s verdict of the season as a whole. “It’s been the most difficult, that’s for sure,” said the 54-year-old, who has won 18 trophies with City and 39 across his managerial career. “It’s been more demanding – much more. When you don’t win it’s more demanding emotionally and (in terms of) preparing and the moods and everything.”
Injuries – particularly to midfield linchpin Rodri – have been a big factor in City’s decline this season while a number of individuals have suffered a drop in form. Guardiola does not absolve himself from blame on that front. He said: “We had a lot of injuries, we didn’t have the energy. We tried most of the time but we were not able to do it. I didn’t find the way to let them feel comfortable and winning the games that would help us to win more games. I’m disappointed in myself when it’s not going well. I have to prove myself again and again. Life doesn’t live from memories.”
A lot of the damage for City was done in a 13-game spell at the back end of 2024 in which they won just once and lost nine times in all competitions. Even after that, performances remained patchy and a defeat at Nottingham Forest in March was a 15th in 30 games. Yet they have not lost again since and, with second place still within reach, the season could end on a positive note. Guardiola, whose side travel to Southampton on Saturday, said: “We didn’t win one game for many months and we were unable to win a lot of games. It’s a business, you have to win games. You have to do your job as best as possible and, this season, we didn’t do that. We were in the highest standards and we dropped it.”
But, even with that, Guardiola remains optimistic. “I would say, it could be worse. I was not good enough to find a way but we didn’t give up. We’re still fighting to qualify for the Champions League – that is a big, big prize – and the FA Cup.”
Meanwhile, amidst the struggles of the current season, there has been chatter around Kevin De Bruyne's future. Recently, Guardiola responded to rumors of Liverpool's interest in the Belgian midfielder. While Liverpool has not made an official offer for De Bruyne, the talk has ignited discussions about his potential departure. Guardiola expressed his desire for 'the best' for De Bruyne and his family, regardless of whether that means joining a domestic rival.
Kevin De Bruyne has been a stalwart for Man City over the past decade, racking up over 400 appearances, netting 108 goals, and providing 177 assists. His contribution has been pivotal, especially during nail-biting finishes against Liverpool, where he clinched two of his six Premier League titles. Now, as he approaches his 34th birthday, it's been confirmed that he will be leaving the Etihad Stadium.
Despite the buzz surrounding Liverpool, the Echo understands that the Reds have not tabled any offer. Instead, their recruitment team is focusing on other targets to bolster Arne Slot's squad. This has left the door open for speculation regarding De Bruyne's future, as he has not ruled out the possibility of continuing his career at another top-flight English club.
Guardiola commented on the situation, saying, “I don’t know, I want the best for Kevin, for his family - the best.” De Bruyne has been loosely linked with Liverpool throughout his career, dating back to footage of him as an 11-year-old in Genk's youth system, where he revealed his childhood support for the Anfield side in the early 2000s.
Aston Villa is also reportedly eyeing De Bruyne, drawn to his Champions League experience. However, recent speculation has centered on a potential move to Napoli, with the Serie A leaders now emerging as frontrunners. Other options for De Bruyne include the Chicago Fire in MLS or the Saudi Pro League.
Addressing summer transfer activity last week, Arne Slot remarked, “If I feel there's no way for us to improve, then we would have had a problem because I know - normally I always say 99.9% but now I know 100% - for sure that City and Arsenal will improve.” Slot emphasized the need for consistency, stating, “That improvement will also come by (rubs fingers to show money) probably bringing new players in because that's what they did for so many years in a row, so we would be surprised if they don't do it now.”
As the season approaches its conclusion, Manchester City faces a pivotal moment, not just in terms of immediate results but also regarding the future of key players like De Bruyne. With the FA Cup and Champions League qualification still on the line, Guardiola and his squad are determined to finish the season on a high note, even as speculation swirls around the future of their star midfielder.
