Man City remain confident that Pep Guardiola will extend his stay past this season – and insist they were NOT lining up Man United-bound Ruben Amorim as his replacement

Manchester City are adamant that they were not lining up Ruben Amorim to be their next manager — and they remain hopeful that Pep Guardiola will extend his stay at the club.

Sporting Lisbon head coach Amorim, who is set to become Manchester United’s new boss, had been linked with City should Guardiola decide to leave at the end of the season.

Old Trafford chief executive Omar Berrada, who has been influential in the swoop for the Portuguese, joined United from City in the summer and is thought to have been aware of his old club’s early contingency plans. But insiders at the Etihad have insisted Amorim was not on any list, despite appointing Sporting’s Hugo Viana to replace City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain at the end of this campaign.

While wary of putting pressure on Guardiola, their preference is for the Catalan to extend his trophy-laden stay with the club, as first reported by Mail Sport in May. Sources say that, even if Guardiola were to leave, they would then seek someone who fits their style of play. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is well regarded.

However, Guardiola suggested United have made a good choice in their pursuit of Amorim and dismissed claims that the appointment has come too quickly for the 39-year-old.

‘Why is it a problem?’ said Guardiola. ‘I started at Barcelona, 37 years old, coming into the fourth division.

‘So knowledge is knowledge. If you are able, it doesn’t matter. For that reason, (Barcelona’s) Lamine Yamal could not play football at 17 years old, right? So you have to wait until he’s 24. There are players who are 56 or 57 and aren’t able to be managers. So what’s important is talent. If you are good, it doesn’t matter the age.’

City go to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup tonight and face Sporting in the Champions League on Bonfire Night, and Guardiola added: ‘All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben’s Sporting Lisbon team (in 2022) and the pressure was really, really good.

The club have insisted that Manchester United-bound Ruben Amorim (left) was not an option to take over

‘I spoke with (City’s) Matheus Nunes, and he was his player, and he speaks highly about him. Look this season, he is winning all the games in the Portuguese League, and in the Champions League has same points as us.

‘If United are thinking about him, it’s because he’s a good manager.

‘They don’t appoint managers who aren’t that level.’