MANUEL PELLEGRINI IS expected to remain as Manchester City manager for next season, despite talk that the club are lining up Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola as their next long-term coach.

The club hierarchy will review the Chilean’s performance at the end of the season, a process that will also look at the signings made by the director of football, Txiki Begiristain.

Squad changes

French defender Eliaquim Mangala has not yet justified his £42m price tag. Dave Thompson Dave Thompson

After conversations with senior figures at the club, Pellegrini remains confident that he will be given another year at the helm. He’s said to be planning for next season at the moment, with big squad changes expected at the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Under former Barcelona executives Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, City have spent around £141m on Eliaquim Mangala, Jesús Navas, Álvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Fernando and Fernandinho. After a season without a trophy, these signings are under scrutiny with none of them considered to have improved the squad.

The most disappointing of this group has been French defender Mangala. City paid £42m last summer for the then 23-year-old. Third-party ownership of players is banned in the Premier League, so around £16.6m of the fee went to securing the economic rights that had been sold by the Portuguese club. He is so far struggled to settle in England, with a number of poor performances this season.

But when these signings and their performances are assessed by City’s Abu Dhabi based owners, there is a likely to be a recognition that football has changes since Shiekh Mansour’s original investment in the club. Competition among the top Champions League-competing clubs has raised transfer fees and made it very difficult to sign elite players.

It will be interesting to see whether, after the end-of-season review, the club decide to put the manager back in charge of recruitment. In 2012, Roberto Mancini was given this responsibility and he signed Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair, Javi Garcia and Maicon.

However City decide to move forward with their transfer strategy, several players in the current squad are expected to be offered for sale or exchange this summer. While the club is also expected to target some high profile players, including Paul Pogba from Juventus and Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg.

Guardiola staying at Bayern

Bayern Munich manager has refuted reports that he will join City this summer. Manu Fernandez Manu Fernandez

There have been several reports over the last few weeks that City are lining up Pep Guardiola as their next manager, though the Spaniard refuted these rumours earlier this week.

There were also suggestions that City would sack Pellegrini regardless – employing a stop-gap manager for a year until Guardiola’s contract at Bayern expires. Names such as Rafa Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti and even Patrick Vieira linked with the temporary vacancy.

But after four straight victories, including Sunday’s 6-0 demolition of QPR, feelings around the club are improved and City are expected to stick with the man that won them the Premier League and League Cup in his first season. At least, for the moment.

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