There is a growing belief that Guardiola will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the current season. While the Premier League champions are still eager to commit him to a new contract and have reportedly asked for an answer by Christmas, the club chiefs fear they will have to continue without him.

According to The Mirror, the benefits of Guardiola's incredible success over his eight years at City ensures the club will have a massive war chest to enter the transfer market with next year. They have made substantial profits in recent transfer markets, bringing in £140m ($182m) more than they spent in the recent window. They are in a good financial position with regards to UEFA's financial rules due to their transfer profits and revenue from their commercial streams.

As well as Guardiola's possible departure, City's head honchos also have to contend with the case of 115 charges of alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations, which has been met with calls for the club to be relegated or handed a massive points deduction.

While the financial case lingers on, Guardiola will hope to lead his team to another Premier League title. They come up against Brentford in their next game, on September 14.