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Pep Guardiola 'could favour London lifestyle over Manchester'

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 01:  Pep Guardiola head coach of Bayern Muenchen at the end of match during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg m
Image: Pep Guardiola could be tempted by a move to London, says Sky Sports Germany reporter Oliver Sequenz

Sky Sports Germany reporter Oliver Sequenz says the lure of the London lifestyle could be a factor in Pep Guardiola's thinking when deciding on his next club.

On Sunday, Bayern Munich announced the Spaniard will be leaving the Allianz Arena at the end of the season and will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.

Guardiola has been linked with moves to both Manchester clubs, while newspaper reports suggest Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is trying to persuade the 44-year-old to instead move to Stamford Bridge.

And, despite acknowledging City are favourites to land Guardiola, Sequenz pointed to past events which suggest he and his family may favour the London lifestyle.

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Thierry Henry says when he played under Pepe Guardiola, the Spanish coach built his philosophy around three Ps

"I don't know which is the higher-rated, maybe it is the city or the club he can work with," Sequenz said. "Take the role - he lived in Barcelona, then he did this sabbatical and lived in New York, then he moved to Munich.

"Guardiola loves culture, he loves museums, he loves literature, and so does his wife, so that would be a point why his family could move to London. When he did a sabbatical, he lived in New York, he likes this lifestyle and the pulse of the city, so that could be a point for London.

What next for Guardiola?
What next for Guardiola?

Pep Guardiola's summer departure from Bayern Munich has been confirmed - so where will he end up?

"Even in Munich, he didn't live in Starnberg at the Starnberger See or the Tegernsee which are a little more south, near to the Alps, which is a beautiful place to live and where some players live - Guardiola chose to live in Munich near the central station."

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But despite the lure of the capital, Sequenz still believes Guardiola will go to the Etihad, where he could be reunited with former Barca colleagues Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain.

Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho, Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, October 2014
Image: Roman Abramovich and Chelsea parted company with Jose Mourinho for the second time recently

"I would say the bigger thing is having a team he can create and that would be a chance actually to work at Manchester City," he added.

"He already has connections to that club so my feeling is he is going to Man City and not to Chelsea, even though there are big opportunities for him to work there as well."

Manuel Pellegrini
Image: Pep Guardiola has been linked with a move to Manchester City to replace Manuel Pellegrini

Although the location of his next club may still be up for debate, Sequenz believes Guardiola's move will be to the Premier League.

"If you take the big leagues, he has already worked in Spain and now in Germany," he said. "For me, the next step would be the Premier League. First of all because of the money and the chances he has got to work there.

"I think whichever club he chooses he would have the opportunity to create a team he wants to have and this is one of the main points why he is going to head to the Premier League."

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