Arsenal's fierce Premier League rivals could lose manager to Bundesliga giants this summer

Arsenal’s Premier League title-chasing rivals Manchester City could be saying farewell to their highly successful manager this summer, if reports on Kicker are to be believed.

The Gunners have long been plagued by the success of the Cityzens, losing out to City in last year’s race for Premier League glory by five points. Guardiola’s squad would then go on to win a historic treble after defeating Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup final and Inter 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final.

This year, Arsenal and City are once again going head-to-head in the Premier League and while Mikel Arteta’s squad currently sit top of the domestic table, if Manchester City win their game in hand, the tables will turn once again.

Reports from Kicker, however, indicate this could be the last year of the Arteta vs Guardiola battle for glory with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich hoping for a reunion with their former head coach. The 53-year-old spent three seasons with Bayern from 2013 to 2016 before heading to England, guiding the club to three Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal trophies as well as a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup win.

Previously, Guardiola has stated he feels like he ‘failed’ during his time in Germany after he failed to deliver a Champions League triumph but he has kept a foothold in Munich since his departure, giving glimmers of hope to wishful Bayern fans. The Spanish manager still owns a flat in Munich and has been known to visit the country on several occasions when looking to holiday around Europe.

The reports of a grand reunion have also gained much more traction after Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl added fuel to the fire when commenting on the club’s search for a new head coach when Thomas Tuchel departs this summer. Speaking after Bayern’s 3-1 defeat by Stuttgart, Eberl said: “In life, it’s sometimes surprising: doors close, you’re disappointed beyond measure. And all of a sudden, doors open that you thought three weeks ago were impossible.”

A return to Germany does, however, seem unlikely. Guardiola currently holds the fate of a fourth consecutive Premier League title in his hands and has previously expressed his desire to remain at the Etihad, potentially even extending his current contract - which ends in 2025 - one more year.

In the wake of Jurgen Klopp’s announcement to depart Anfield, Guardiola said: “I’m fine. There’s still one more year, I want to do it - and maybe I will extend. I try to manage. What we did last season, we have to do more and more now - it’s not going to happen. One step at a time.”

City will take on Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham in their final three Premier League fixtures before enjoying an FA Cup Manchester Derby final on May 25.