Report: Guardiola considering 5-year Manchester City stay
Pep Guardiola is relishing the challenge of the Premier League, so much so that he may remain at Manchester City for at least five years, reports The Times' Paul Hirst.
The Spaniard accepts that it will take longer than he anticipated to vault City into the European elite, and word of Guardiola's longer stay is supplemented by sources telling ESPN FC's Jonathan Smith that his family is already settled and happy in Manchester.
Guardiola is even drafting in architects from Barcelona to spruce up his city-centre apartment, according to The Sun's Phil Thomas and Martin Blackburn.
These accounts may help allay City supporters' fears that Guardiola will soon jump ship. Ten competitive wins to start the season were followed by disjointed defending and reduced potency in attack, culminating in the club's current underwhelming standing of fifth in the Premier League.
At the start of January, Guardiola said he was approaching the end of his career, and suffered the heaviest defeat of that career in a 4-0 loss at Everton under two weeks later.
Related - Guardiola: I'm 'approaching the end of my career'
Rather than a quick fix to send City atop English football and deep into the Champions League, the Eastlands project is now seen as long-term, with another legion of signings expected at the end of the season after last summer's nine purchases.
There are plenty of problem areas throughout City's first XI, with targets including Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin, Bayern Munich's versatile left-side operator Juan Bernat, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who last week admitted he could leave Borussia Dortmund soon.
The 46-year-old will also hold the Etihad Stadium exit door for open numerous notable names at the club, a potentially 10-strong group including fan favourites Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, and Yaya Toure.
Meanwhile, City fans are excited to see more of £27-million teenager Gabriel Jesus after his all-action cameo in last Saturday's 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur. The Brazilian's new employer travels to Crystal Palace in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round fixtures.