FORMER BARCELONA BOSS Pep Guardiola will replace Roberto Mancini as manager of English champions Manchester City in the summer, according to reports.

Guardiola, 41, said last Monday he was ready to return to coaching after stepping down from the Barcelona job at the end of last season having guided them to 14 trophies in his four years in charge, including two Champions League titles.

The Sun on Sunday claims Guardiola will opt for City over Chelsea because he sees the Abu Dhabi-owned side as being the more likely to challenge for European honours despite the London side having won the Champions League last season.

Mancini – who has won an FA Cup and the Prmeier League titles in his time at the club – is set to pay for his failure to guide the expensively-assembled side into the Champions League knockout stages on two occasions.

It is 100 per cent certain that Guardiola is going to City this summer,” a high level source in Spanish football told the paper.

“And when I say 100 per cent I don’t mean 99 per cent, I mean 100 per cent!”

According to the paper, Guardiola will become the highest-paid manager in England on €12million (£10m) a year after tax.

© AFP, 2012

Watch the story discussed on this morning’s Sky Sports Sunday Supplement:

YouTube credit: johnnycrossan

(h/t: 101GreatGoals)

Pressure on Mourinho as Real draw blank at Osasuna

Manchester United v Liverpool: new signing Sturridge ‘a gamble for’ Rodgers, says Fergie