Man Utd & Chelsea Failed With Late Moves To Steal Pep Guardiola From City

Manchester United and Chelsea made late moves to try and persuade Pep Guardiola to snub Manchester City, according to the Mirror.

Guardiola announced last month that he wasn’t renewing his contract with German giants Bayern Munich this summer and had set his sights on trying his luck in the Premier League.

This led to widespread speculation that the former Barcelona star was heading to the Etihad Stadium and the rumours were confirmed earlier today when City released a statement on MCFC.co.uk confirming Guardiola had agreed a three-year deal to take over as boss this summer.

Current City manager Manuel Pellegrini also confirmed the news at his pre-match press conference this afternoon with the Chilean boss set to stand down a year before his contract is due to expire.

The news has led to criticism from thousands of Chelsea and Man Utd supporters who’ve been voicing their displeasure on social media after seeing their clubs miss out on Guardiola’s signature.

However, it appears the duo did at least attempt to snare the Spaniard as the Mirror claim that both Chelsea and United made last ditch attempts to lure Guardiola away from taking over at Eastland’s.

The newspaper suggests that the pair tried to tempt the 45-year-old to Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford but Guardiola had already committed himself to taking over at City at the end of the season.

Pressure has been mounting on Louis van Gaal’s shoulders as fans are becoming increasingly disillusioned by the Dutchman’s tactics so supporters are furious that they’ve allowed their rivals to snap up arguably the most talented manager in world football.

Chelsea are on the look-out for a permanent replacement for interim boss Guus Hiddink after he took over on a temporary basis following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho and Guardiola seemed like the logical choice for many.

However, United and Chelsea have missed out as City made their move quickly to tempt Guardiola to the Etihad and I think it’s fair to say they are now going to be tipped for a period of dominance under the Spaniard.

With a squad already full of talent and vast financial resources available, it’s hard to see how Guardiola wont be a huge success during his time with City, and I personally can’t wait to see him here in the Premier League.