Manuel Pellegrini admits Manchester City must do better this season amid fresh speculation about Pep Guardiola taking over at the Etihad next summer.
Pellegrini has entered the final 12 months of his three-year deal after ending last season empty-handed.
City surrendered the Premier League title to Chelsea and exited at the first knockout stage of the Champions League to Barcelona for the second year in a row.
Pellegrini kept his job but has acknowledged the need to win a trophy and reach the last eight in Europe this time around. Asked what would represent a good season, he said: ‘First of all to win titles. It is important to win a title — we will try to win all four.
‘The Champions and Premier League are more important, and after that to be comfortable about the way we play the whole year and be competitive in all competitions. I hope we are going to continue further in the Champions League. In the last two seasons we have been unlucky, we have faced Bayern Munich in the group stage and after that Barcelona in the round of 16.’
A report yesterday claimed that Guardiola has agreed terms to take over at City next summer. That is not thought to be the case, but there is no doubt he is a long-term target. Guardiola has not extended his contract with the German club and until he does he will cast a shadow over Pellegrini.
Meanwhile, Stevan Jovetic will end his City misery by joining Inter Milan this week. The Italian club confirmed he will have a medical tomorrow and Jovetic posted a photo on social media last night, showing him sitting on a plane, with the message ‘on my way to Milano’.
Inter wanted the 25-year-old on loan but it is understood it will be a sale or a loan that includes a clause stipulating a permanent move. Jovetic headed off before City’s game with the Vietnam national team in Hanoi today.
City’s new £2m signing Enes Unal could join Racing Genk on loan. – Daily Mail