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Pep Guardiola applauds the Manchester City fans at Anfield(Image: Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola chose to delay signing a contract extension at the club until he had convinced himself it was the right decision for his career.

Liverpool's title rivals City have been left hanging in the balance in recent months while their manager decided upon his future.

Guardiola's current deal in Manchester is due to expire at the end of this season and it was unclear whether he would commit to a new contract or not.



It had been suggested that Txiki Begiristain's impending departure from the Etihad Stadium was leading the Catalonian to consider long and hard where was best for him.

However, our colleagues at the Manchester Evening News reports this was not a factor.

Instead, a back injury which had been causing Guardiola considerable pain had led him to question whether it was right to carry on.

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The City boss underwent surgery on this issue last season and it is believed Guardiola needed to convince himself that an extension was right for both him and his family in the long-term.

Guardiola is still committed to managing an international team before he retires and this is thought to be weighing heavily on his mind.

It now seems that Guardiola has convinced himself that continuing is the right decision with an official announcement of his one-year extension, including the option for a further 12 months, expected before the weekend's clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool will be hoping that Guardiola's decision to stay will give City a boost.

Arne Slot's debut season at Anfield has started better than anyone could have hoped for with Liverpool sitting five points clear at the top of the Premier League as we exit the final international break until March.

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