Pep Guardiola warned seven Man City stars are in 'natural decline' after agreeing new deal
Manchester City are eyeing their fifth consecutive Premier League title and look set to have Pep Guardiola in charge for the foreseeable future but he has been given a worrying warning
Pep Guardiola has been told he has a huge task to transform Manchester City ’s ageing squad after agreeing a new contract.
The Spaniard has been a huge success at the Etihad Stadium, winning six Premier League titles including the last four in a row. He also lifted the club’s first-ever Champions League title.
Guardiola looks set to extend his stay with City into a decade. It has been claimed that he has agreed a year’s extension to his current contract which has an option to extend by a season to 2027.
And while Alan Shearer has been full of praise for the job that Guardiola has done so far, he believes a big rebuilding job is on the horizon very soon. Speaking to Betfair, the ex-Newcastle striker said: “Looking through their current squad, you’ve got Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker, Ederson & even John Stones who are all 30+ years old, so you could argue the bulk of their squad is in a state of natural decline.
“However, you could also argue whether a little bit of their hunger may have also decreased, because a lot of those players have been incredibly successful and I don't care who or what you are, it's difficult to keep going again, again and again.
“They've done it so many times now so it's a big ask for them to come back and go again, and only time will tell. They also have the off-field charges that have been put to them as a football club to deal with, and the questions that are going to be asked there too.
“Plenty of people will say that the current charges hanging over City shouldn't affect the players that are on the pitch, ‘they just have to go out and play’, and I understand that, but ultimately what happens at the top of the football club always filters its way down to the pitch at some stage.
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“It shouldn't do but often it does. Having said all that, if you ask me if they'll be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, my answer to that would be yes.”
City already find themselves on the backfoot if they hope to win the Premier League once again this season. Guardiola’s side sit second and five points behind current leaders Liverpool.
They will hope to keep pace with the Reds this coming weekend. Manchester City welcome Spurs to the Etihad Stadium, while Liverpool travel to struggling Southampton.
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