Concerns over crucial Manchester City director’s future emerge – Exit alongside Pep Guardiola ‘not ruled out’

Manchester City could be set for a hugely transformational couple of seasons with a new report pointing towards a likely exit for one of the club’s key hierarchy members.

The latest development coincides with ongoing uncertainty over the future of head coach Pep Guardiola, with the Catalan’s current Etihad Stadium agreement running until the end of next season, and no conversation over a renewal in sight.

For Manchester City, it is business as usual both on and off the pitch, with key club officials insistent on their approach of allowing Guardiola the time and space to make a decision on his future in his own time – a mark of respect for what he has done for the club.

Guardiola himself has consistently pointed towards a lack of urgency when it comes to his own future, stating that despite only having a year remaining on his current agreement, that such a year is a long time in football.

But in between now and Guardiola’s current contractual expiry, Manchester City and their supporters could experience another major exit as one of the board’s most crucial figures eyes an end to his time with the Etihad club.

That is according to the information of journalist Jorge Picón, who reveals that the feeling of Txiki Begiristain leaving his position as sporting director at Manchester City is ‘gaining strength’, despite there being ‘no specific date for this’.

However, the report claims that ‘it is not ruled out’ that Begiristain could leave the Etihad Stadium before Pep Guardiola brings an end to his legendary reign in charge of the Premier League giants.

Txiki Begiristain made his first moves into the ‘director of football’ world by taking up the position with his former club FC Barcelona in 2003, having played for the Camp Nou side between 1988 and 1995.

In the summer of 2010, alongside Barcelona president Joan Laporta, Txiki Begiristain announced his exit from the Catalan giants, revealing that he also felt it was the right time for him to part ways with the organisation as a whole.

Having then taken a two-year break from the industry, the now 59-year-old joined Manchester City’s ambitious new project spearheaded by Abu Dhabi’s investment in October 2012, taking up an identical role as he held at Barcelona.

Since joining Manchester City, Begiristain is widely credited with the successful rebuild of the Etihad Stadium’s playing squad under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, and Pep Guardiola, securing players year-on-year to maintain top-level success both domestically and in Europe.