Txiki Begiristain is set to leave his role as Manchester City's sporting director at the end of the season, a move that could potentially affect Pep Guardiola's decision on whether to stay on as the club's manager.
Begiristain joined City in October 2012, having previously served as Barcelona's director of football for seven years until 2010. During his time at Barcelona, he worked closely with Guardiola for two seasons, who was appointed head coach in 2008 largely due to Begiristain's recommendation.
As a former teammate and close friend of Guardiola, Begiristain was brought in by City with the expectation that the 53-year-old would eventually take over as manager, which he did in the summer of 2016. His presence at the club was crucial in convincing Guardiola to accept the role, given that he was the one who initially pushed for Guardiola to take charge at Barcelona.
Begiristain's expertise in the transfer market has been a cornerstone of City's success over the past 12 years. He and Guardiola share a close working relationship, often meeting daily for breakfast at the club to discuss strategy. Guardiola's contract is set to expire next summer, and he has yet to decide whether to extend his tenure, which would then span nine years at City.
While it is expected that Guardiola will make his decision sometime during the winter, Begiristain's departure could influence his thinking. Speaking about his future on Friday, Guardiola said: “What can I say? Thank you so much, I fell in love since the first day I arrived here, let’s see [what will happen] – look at how everything is going and how connected we are. When it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.”
