Pep's ex-sporting director: "When I look at him, something doesn't feel right"

Two days ago, the football world was shaken by the news that Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season. Now, another possibility is quietly gaining traction - one that could strip the Premier League of not just a superstar, but one of its defining figures.

Not a player this time - but a manager.

Despite being under contract with Manchester City until 2027, Pep Guardiola suddenly finds himself at a crossroads. The noise is growing louder: next transfer window could mark the end of an era at the Etihad.

For now, Guardiola remains silent. And in football, silence rarely calms anything; it fuels it.

Into that silence stepped Matthias Sammer, a man who knows Pep better than most. The two worked closely during their time at Bayern Munich, and Sammer's words carried a tone that felt less like speculation and more like intuition.

"I was very happy for him when he won the League Cup," Sammer said. "We worked together for three wonderful years. I believe I understand him - his expressions, his gestures, his eyes. And when I look at him now… something doesn’t feel right."

It's not proof. But it's nothing either.

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Especially not in a season that has tested City's dominance. Their UEFA Champions League campaign ended abruptly at the hands of Real Madrid, while in the league, they find themselves chasing Arsenal, sitting nine points behind, albeit with a game in hand.

For a manager who has built a career on control, perfection, and relentless standards, the cracks - however small - are impossible to ignore.

Sammer went even further.

"When I see your eyes, your face… You don't need to explain to anyone who you are, or that you cannot always win. I would advise him to take a deep breath - and step away for a while."

A pause. A break. Or something more final?

There is still something to fight for. A high-stakes clash with Arsenal on April 19 could yet redefine City's season, while the FA Cup offers another route to silverware, though Liverpool FC stand in the way in the quarter-finals. And then there was Guardiola himself.

After lifting the League Cup, ironically against Arsenal, he made a promise: Manchester City will be better next season.

What he didn't say… is whether he'll be there to see it.