Manchester United look set to land a major blow against rivals Manchester City with the news that Pep Guardiola has his heart set on taking over at Old Trafford next season.
The Bayern Munich boss has long been a target for City, with chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain hoping to be reunited with Guardiola after their sustained success at former club Barcelona.
But the Mail and Telegraph both report that the Spaniard would instead prefer to take charge of United when his Munich contract expires next summer.
United would need to come to an arrangement with current boss Louis van Gaal, however, with the Dutchman having another year remaining on his contract, before appointing Guardiola.
But with many fans and former players unhappy with performances under Van Gaal, despite sitting just a point behind Premier League leaders City, a reported £7million buyout would not prevent the switch taking place, although Guardiola could also opt to take a year out of the game.
German champions Bayern want Guardiola to extend his contract into next season and beyond, but are not prepared to wait until the New Year for the 44-year-old Champions League winner to decide his future.
Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has already begun preparing for his manager’s possible exit by stating last week that no-one at the club was irreplaceable.
