Bayern Munich confirmed yesterday that Pep Guardiola will leave at the end of the season, all but paving the way for him to join a Premier League club in the summer.

 

Manchester City are said to be the front-runners for his signature, though Louis van Gaal’s ongoing nightmare at Manchester United has led to rumours that he could be sacked in the near future and replaced with the Spaniard.

 

Chelsea’s recent sacking of Jose Mourinho has them also in the hunt for Guardiola but it is believed that one of the Manchester sides is his preferred destination.

 

Guardiola worked under now-City chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Beguiristain, who gave him his chance at Barcelona and could be highly-influential in bringing the 44-year-old to City.

 

The club have made no attempt to hide the fact that they see the Spaniard as their long-term manager after Manuel Pellegrini.

 

Munich announced that former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti — who was linked with the vacant role at Stamford Bridge and as a possibility to take over from Van Gaal — will replace Guardiola on a three-year deal.

 

“We’re grateful to Guardiola for everything he has given to our club since 2013,” Bayern’s chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

 

“I am convinced Pep and our team are now going to work even more intensively on realising our sporting ambitions, particularly now that it has been confirmed that Pep will be leaving Bayern.

 

“Carlo Ancelotti has had success as a coach everywhere and he has won the Champions League three times.

 

“Carlo is a calm, level-headed expert who knows how to work with stars and plays a brand of football rich in variety.

 

“That is what we were looking for and that is what we have found. We are looking forward to working with him.”