Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola connected with the club’s chairman and close friend, Khaldoon Al Mubarak in Abu Dhabi last week, new reports have revealed.

The development comes as Pep Guardiola continues to weigh up his options over his longer-term future, with his existing contract at the Etihad Stadium currently set to expire at the end of the ongoing season.

The 53-year-old last extended his terms with the Premier League champions midway through the 2022/23 season, and a campaign that would eventually go on to become a historic Treble-winning year for the club.

Now into his ninth season at the club and having won every single trophy available in that time, there is a firm belief that Pep Guardiola is approaching the end of his time at the Etihad Stadium, and any further contractual extensions would only be for the shorter-term.

But as all parties continue to weigh up their options – Pep Guardiola on whether he wishes to stay and Manchester City on what they could propose their legendary head coach – a meeting of two figures has taken place in the Middle-East that could give supporters hope.

According to the information of The Times newspaper, and although he was officially there for ‘commercial reasons’, manager Pep Guardiola met with Manchester City’s chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in Abu Dhabi last week.

The pair are known to have a strong relationship, and it is reminded that the duo went on holiday to the Maldives, where he was ultimately persuaded to extend his contract for another two years.

At the time, and particularly with Pep Guardiola expected to leave, The Times states that Manchester City staff had spoken of their shock at the news and put the extension down to Khaldoon Al Mubarak himself.

The last few days throughout the ongoing international break has seen Pep Guardiola linked with a number of high-profile routes within the game after his time at Manchester City comes to an end.

With the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach having made no secret of his desire to one day coach a national team at a FIFA World Cup, the Football Association and England made Guardiola their ‘dream’ candidate to succeed Gareth Southgate.

Having made ‘informal contact’ with the Manchester City coach earlier in the summer, there was a common belief within the FA that a deal may be too difficult to complete, both logistically and financially, with Thomas Tuchel emerging as a more likely successor.