Pep meets City chief in Amsterdam – report
Pep Guardiola met with Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain in Amsterdam on Monday, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
Bayern Munich coach Guardiola will take over as the new manager at the Etihad Stadium in the summer after agreeing a three-year deal with the Premier League club.
The Spaniard insisted that he would not be distracted from his work at Bayern for the remainder of the season despite his impending move to England. But, according to a report with accompanying photographs in De Telegraaf, Guardiola was in the Netherlands on Monday to meet up with close friend and former Barcelona colleague Begiristain.
Begiristain was instrumental in bringing Guardiola to the Etihad this summer and is the man who makes the final decision on City’s transfers, with the Blues expected to make more big-money signings this summer.
Pep talk in Amsterdam https://t.co/6xU9j4LK9W pic.twitter.com/Tjce4UUpNR
– Redactie Telesport (@telesport) March 8, 2016
In February, when asked how he would cope with managing Bayern and preparing for his new job at City, Guardiola replied: “I am like a woman, I can control both situations. I can think of both situations, so it’s no problem for me.”
He also added: “I will be focusing on the team until my final day here, giving my best to the very last minute.”
The meeting with Begiristain came less than 48 hours after Bayern’s 0-0 draw with Bundesliga title rivals Borussia Dortmund which kept them five points clear at the top of the table. The 45-year-old is also aiming to win the Champions League with the German club for the first time, having suffered resounding defeats at the semifinal stage of each of his previous two European campaigns at the Allianz Arena.
The meeting will also increase speculation that City will make a move for highly rated Dutch midfielder Riechedly Bazoer. The 19-year-old Ajax midfielder has been linked with moves to City’s Premier League rivals Chelsea and Serie A side Napoli.
Bazoer is seen as one of the hottest properties in Dutch football and Guardiola could be set to make him his first signing when he completes his switch to the Etihad.
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