COMMENT: So he's closer. Closer to putting pen to paper. Closer to committing the next stage of his career to Manchester City. And with it, Pep Guardiola will take the opportunity in front of him. To end the doubts. To silence the cynics. And to give himself every chance of taking his place amongst the game's managerial greats...
He shut it down this week. Victor Font, among the hopefuls running for president ahead of next year's Barcelona election, has spoken about bringing Guardiola back to the club. Font has Xavi, currently in charge of Al Sadd, committed to his ticket. But he's also talked openly about bringing Guardiola back to Barca. But the City manager moved to end to chatter earlier this week.
"I've said it many times, my career as a manager at Barcelona is over," declared Guardiola. "I think once in a lifetime you have to do these things and there are incredible people who can be in charge now. For example Ronald Koeman is an excellent manager, so it's over.
"I'm still incredibly happy here [at Man City], I still have the desire to do well and this is the most important thing."
Which is music to the ears of City's powerbrokers. From Sheikh Mansour, to chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, through to City's ex-Barca football chiefs Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, to a man, they want Guardiola to continue. Indeed, the thought of moving forward without him is unimaginable. And from Guardiola's words this week, the feeling is mutual.
With a blank cheque. A fully committed and admiring board. Higher ups who are not just colleagues, but friends. What looms ahead of Guardiola is opportunity. Should he sign this new deal, he will have everyone inside the club - and the board room - wanting to do whatever they can, no matter the cost, to help him succeed.
And he'll need them. This is the challenge which lies ahead. For the first time in a coaching career which is about to enter it's fourteenth year, the Catalan will be tasked with building his own team. The process is already underway. It has been for a while. But now things will be accelerating. The pillars of Roberto Mancini's 2012 title winners are all but gone. The odd enhancements added to Manuel Pellegrini's 2013 winners are now entering the veteran stage. Soon Guardiola won't be working with another manager's cast. This will be his squad with his choices. For the first time in his career, Guardiola won't be competing with another manager's weapons.
As mentioned, those great pillars brought to the club during Mancini's time have all but been phased out. Guardiola did it himself, early doors, pushing Joe Hart to the fringes before eventually forcing him to look elsewhere. David Silva left this summer. Vincent Kompany the previous one. Pablo Zabaleta was pensioned off to West Ham. And Yaya Toure was given the Hart treatment. Only Sergio Aguero remains, with his contract ticking down to it's final six months. That first great team of this Mansour era is coming to an end.
Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola together with Barcelona
And now the icons of the Pellegrini era, to varying degrees, will need to be assessed. At 35 and so long as his legs can carry him, Fernandinho remains a first-choice for Guardiola. But for how long? Even Kevin de Bruyne will be 30 at the end of this season. And as much as Raheem Sterling has thrived under Guardiola's guidance, he was a Pellegrini signing. The challenge now for the current manager is to find his 'own' Sterling and De Bruyne.
He has one. The goalkeeper. No-one could dispute that those personal scouting missions to Portugal, in tandem with brother Pere, haven't paid off. Ederson, now in his fourth season with the club, is well on the way to becoming a City great. In the Mansour era, medals will be decisive. But Guardiola can be proud of his choice in the Brazilian.
At the back. For Kompany. The jury's still out. The Belgian still hasn't been replaced. John Stones hasn't worked. Aymeric Laporte can't get on the pitch. And now Guardiola has turned to Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias. As we say, the jury's still out.
In midfield, the ball-winning ability of Fernandinho will need a successor. As will the creativity of David Silva. And up front, no player at City has matched the contribution of Aguero since his 2011 arrival.
A Centre-half. A defensive and creative midfielder. And a record-breaking striker. The spine of a team. A spine that Guardiola is yet to rebuild. He has the goalkeeper, but that's it. And that's just talking about the playing ability of these giants. There's also character. Leadership. Again, qualities that need to be replaced if City are to return to the summit during Guardiola's next contract.
Of course there's the Messi factor. And the odds are nigh overwhelming that Lionel Messi will be wearing Sky Blue next season. Only the refusal of Josep Maria Bartomeu, the now formerBarcelona president, to grant Messi a release from his contract denied City and Guardiola the signing of the century. Guardiola had been one the phone to Messi for weeks ahead of the whole burofax saga. The gist of Pep's pitch was always 'let's win the Champions League together one last time'. And Messi was on board.
Indeed for many in Catalonia, it's the influence of Guardiola which is the key factor keeping Messi from considering new contract talks with the club. A move to England in 2021 remains a massive prospect.
But the same can't be said of City's European chances. Even with Messi, City won't be transformed. He'll make a difference, sure. A huge difference. But Barca, with their talisman fully fit, are no world-beaters this season. Again, those pillars of Mancio will need to be replaced for Guardiola to make good on the promise to his former Barca protégé.
For the moment. For all his success. There is this nagging doubt about Guardiola. Can he do it with his own team? Does he even have the appetite to do it?
Well, that question will be answered with a new contract. But then the hard work - the unchartered territory - begins. And if he gets it right, there'll be no room for doubting Pep Guardiola as a managerial great.
