Pep Guardiola handed transfer boost as Txiki Begiristain defers Manchester City exit to assist Hugo Viana | OneFootball

Txiki Begiristain has deferred his Manchester City exit by a month-and-a-half to assist incoming sporting director Hugo Viana with the transition, as per a new report.

Begiristain has been a hallmark of City’s shrewd transfer business since his appointment as sporting director in October 2012, having previously worked with Pep Guardiola at Barcelona.

The 60-year-old is leaving Manchester City in the summer and Sporting chief Hugo Viana is set to take over from Begiristain to launch a new era at the Etihad Stadium.

City have a busy summer ahead and are expected to make wholesale changes to their first-team after a drab and rather disappointing run in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League this season.

Guardiola’s side are in fifth place in the Premier League table with eight games to go and despite their struggles this campaign, the Blues could yet finish the season on a high if they see off Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final and go on to lift an eighth FA Cup title.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso and Atalanta’s Ederson Silva are believed to be high on City’s wishlist for the summer transfer window.

City are facing uncertainty over the future(s) of several first-team stars and could see all of Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Ederson and John Stones leave at the end of the season. Kevin De Bruyne confirmed on Friday he will leave in the summer.

Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush were all signed for a total £181.5 million in January to mount a genuine top four challenge amidst City’s personnel struggles across the pitch that first began when Rodri and Oscar Bobb picked up long-term injuries in the first two months of the term.

According to the information of Hugo Cerezo, Begiristain has decided to defer his City departure by a month-and-a-half until the summer transfer window shuts to aid Viana through the transition process.

This presents a huge boost for Guardiola and co in their attempts to attract the best talent in the world to the Etihad Stadium as part of their upcoming squad revamp.