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Al-Nassr launched an ambitious approach for Pep Guardiola ahead of the manager’s recently confirmed announcement that he will officially leave Manchester City at the end of the season.
The Saudi Pro League champions’ chase opens up the sensational possibility of a historic tactical partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Saudi giants approached the brain who was leaving Manchester City
Guardiola shook the football world by officially announcing his departure from City in the summer, concluding a transformative and trophy-laden 10-year tenure.
Taking advantage of this monumental administrative change, the newly crowned Saudi champion Al-Nassr launched an ambitious search to attract the tactician to Riyadh.
After winning the Saudi Premier League and AFC Champions League Two, coach Jorge Jesus resigned, sparking further speculation.
Reports emerged that the club offered a staggering world-record salary package to unite the coach with Ronaldo, forcing Guardiola’s long-term representative Josep Maria Orobitg to publicly clarify the exact nature of these negotiations.
Orobitg discards record figures
Faced with widespread speculation that Al-Nassr had tempted the Catalan coach with a multimillion-dollar package worth almost €130 million per season, Orobitg was quick to dismiss the astronomical figures.
Speaking to a Saudi media Okaz“There was contact a month and a half ago, just contact, without any commitment or written offer. It’s not that much money.”
No further talks planned, agent says
Al-Nassr’s call is not the only inquiry coming from the Gulf region, as football authorities look to capitalize on the coach’s sudden availability.
Reveal secondary discussions with the national system while remaining realistic about full agreement.
“There was also contact with the Federation of Saudi Arabia about 15 days ago, but there will be no further contact for the moment,” added Orobitg. “At the moment, none of them have much chance of signing Guardiola.”
Etihad’s farewell precedes Guardiola’s change of position
Guardiola will take charge of City for the final time on Sunday, when his team hosts Aston Villa in an emotional finale to the season.
Once the post-match formalities are completed, attention will turn to his imminent executive responsibilities as the City Football Group’s global ambassador.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
