Noel Gallagher makes Pep Guardiola Man City future prediction but Oasis star does not believe legendary coach and 'good friend' is most important man at the club

The musician and life-long City fan described Guardiola as a "good friend" and predicted that he would not be walking out on the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.

"I personally think he'll stay. I mean, I don't know, he's not saying anything to me, but I personally think he'll stay for one more year," Gallagher told TNT Sports before City's Champions League clash with Sporting CP. "Then it gives everybody a chance to breed and reflect on what he did, you know, and if he could nick another Champions League this year, be great."

Guardiola has led City to six Premier League titles in his eight years in charge plus two FA Cups, four League Cups and the club's long-awaited first Champions League in 2023. Gallagher is not concerned, however, that City will experience a similar fall in grace that Manchester United suffered when Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He described the Red Devils as "complacent" and said that City would be in safe hands due to chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

He added: "I actually think the most important man of the club is Khaldoon. We all know he [Guardiola] is going. He's already said he's not going to stay for another seven, eight years. So they must know, so they must have a plan set in place and Txiki [Begiristain, sporting director] going at the end of the season. That's the guy that bought the players. So it feels like the end of an era coming. I don't know one single City fan who is down about it. I think everybody's ready to to finally give him what he deserves, a great send off."

Ruben Amorim, the next United manager who took on Guardiola in his final home game in charge of Sporting, admitted that he expected City to approach him about succeeding the Catalan before he accepted the offer to take charge of the Red Devils after Erik ten Hag was sacked. Xabi Alonso and Vincent Kompany lead the list of Guardiola's potential successors now that Amorim is out of the running.

Guardiola announced his last two contract extensions during the November international breaks in 2020 and 2022 so all eyes will be on whether he confirms he is staying at the club before the end of the month. City visit Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday hoping to recover from their defeat at Bournemouth, which halted an 11-month unbeaten run in the English top flight.