Guardiola agrees to extend Man City stay, to convince Haaland for Etihad move

Pep Guardiola has decided to extend his stay at Manchester City until 2025. Meanwhile, he would also be convincing Erling Haaland over a move to Etihad.

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Defending English champion Manchester City has received a piece of positive news, as head coach Pep Guardiola has agreed to extend his contract with the club. He will be extending his contract to 2025, following the club's remarkable run in England and Europe. The news comes just days after title rival Liverpool saw its manager Jurgen Klopp signing a similar contract extension.

Guardiola's contract was set to expire after the end of next season, in 2023. Although he denied that Klopp's contract extension would not influence him, it seems like he has thought upon it and has given his consent to the club chiefs to grant his contract extension. Meanwhile, it is also being understood that his extended stay at Etihad could mean him convincing Erling Haaland to join the club.

As per the Daily Mail, Haaland reportedly agreed to a £500,000 per week deal with City, making him the highest-paid player in the English Premier League (EPL) history. While there were doubts regarding Guardiola's future at the club, Haaland was also linked to a move to Spanish champion Real Madrid. The Norwegian, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, will be available for £63 million this summer.

Now that Guardiola is ready to pen the contract extension, Haaland is certainly to join City. He supposedly feels that joining the English champion would increase his chances of winning titles, especially in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), which the club is still competing for in the semis. Also, he will be eyeing the prospect of winning the Ballon d'Or.

Guardiola has a grave task in his hand to guide City into the UCL final. It is taking on Madrid in the semis, leading 4-3 after the opening leg at Etihad. With the second leg to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Wednesday, it will be an uphill battle for the Cityzens. Making it to the final could put it across Liverpool, which leads 2-0 against Villareal in the semis first leg.