Man City close in on Guardiola but Van Gaal, Wenger & the rest still face an anxious wait
SPECIAL REPORT: Manuel Pellegrini will endure months of speculation following the Spaniard's decision to leave Bayern, but he will not be the only one under pressure
Everybody wants to know the answer, but very few do. Bayern Munich had every right to force their coach's hand and get a straight answer about Pep Guardiola's intentions, but while the German powerhouse can now plan for the future without the Catalan, things are far more complicated at a host of Premier League clubs. So, where is Pep going?
Manchester City have got a very good idea. For a variety of reasons, Guardiola's next destination will not be made public just yet, and that will lead to a tidal wave of speculation. Before Pep had even confirmed his exit, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and City had all been touted as his next club. It will only carry on like this until everything is out in the open.
Guardiola, if it were down to him, surely would not have chosen to make the announcement at this point in the season. Having been unhappy with how his decision to join the Bavarians was leaked, he knows as well as anybody that mid-season revelations of this sort are less than ideal.
At least in early 2012 Jupp Heynckes knew he was leaving at the end of the season and could, after a spell of hysteria, get on with business. Life will not be so simple for Manuel Pellegrini, Louis van Gaal and quite possibly Arsene Wenger.
Manchester City enjoy particularly cordial relations with Guardiola, and had long been confident that the Etihad Stadium will be his next destination. Goal can reveal that that confidence has soared in recent weeks. There is now a firm belief around the City Football Group that Guardiola will be the man to take City, the club at the heart of the whole operation, to the next level.
Sporting director Txiki Begiristain speaks to Guardiola on a weekly basis. Omar Berrarda, the commercial director of the CFG who recently played a key role in a $400m investment from an influential Chinese consortium, is another prominent former Barcelona man, and it is understood that Guardiola is looking forward to linking up with a number of friendly faces.
An interview given by Ferran Sorriano in 2013, following the sacking of Roberto Mancini, is telling: "I know Pep. Txiki knows Pep. So we don't need to be in the market for Pep. If Pep decided to come to England I think he would have called us, right?
"But at the time we had our own manager and we were not in the market. Pep made his own position clear. He is going to a big club. I also think he is very young - he is 41 now - and after Germany he probably will come to England to coach somewhere."
The Blues were rebuffed in their attempts to bring him to the Etihad Stadium last summer, when Pellegrini's position was under threat after surrendering the title to Chelsea. The club were told that Pep fully intended to fulfil his three-year contract in Munich, but things are clearly different now.
Pellegrini was handed a one-year contract extension on the eve of the new Premier League season, a decision made with the aim of cooling speculation about his own future. Evidently, that only lasted so long. It had been suggested by some that the Chilean knows full well he will be replaced by Guardiola in the summer. His latest statements on the issue appear to back that up.
"I am sure Pep Guardiola will work here some day," he said. "I even hope he will have the opportunity to work at Manchester City too, because I love this club and I care about its future, and I am sure he would do a good job. When is the future, I don’t know, but if the future turns out to be next year the most important thing for me to do is try to win the title again this season."
Sources close to the deal which brought Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester also indicate that the Belgian was advised that working with Guardiola in the future is on the cards, and some City first teamers are already under the impression that the Catalan will move to England at the end of the season.
Begiristain himself may find himself under pressure if, after some less than inspired transfer deals over the last couple of years, he fails to bring in his old friend.
But the confidence around the club suggests Txiki's time at the Etihad Stadium will go on, with Guardiola alongside him. As Soriano said himself, if he was coming to England, they would know about it.
But many will not. Sources have told Goal that four English clubs and one national team - understood not to be Spain - remain interested.
Chelsea, of course, are in need of a new manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, with Guus Hiddink only taking the job temporarily, while Louis van Gaal's position at Old Trafford is increasingly cloudy.
It would be completely in-keeping with routine process for these clubs to put themselves in contact with Guardiola's camp to ascertain his intentions. In fact, it is through other clubs' enquiries that more light may be shone on City's strong position.
Just a couple of weeks ago United appeared to be at pains to point out that they had no interest in Guardiola and that they were more than happy with Van Gaal. It was a strange story, one which suggested to some that the Reds had clearly got wind of Pep's plans - i.e. that he is to join City - and that this was merely red-tinted spin.
Given how easily things change in football, however, Van Gaal's job appears far less secure now. If United feel they are still in a position to make an approach, Guardiola would surely be promised a considerable wage packet and access to a list of transfer targets with the names Neymar, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo written in large letters at the top.
Chelsea, too, can be expected to throw the kitchen sink at it now that the Mourinho situation came to a head so dramatically on Thursday. Early indications are that Diego Simeone is the Londoners' top target for the summer, however.
It seems even Arsene Wenger is not safe from the uncertainty. We are at a time in the season when the Frenchman's position at Arsenal appears as safe as houses. Given the fluctuating nature of the Gunners' results and performances, though, that is likely to change several times between now and May. Some see it as nigh-on sacrilege to suggest that Wenger's time is up, but if the north Londoners want to ensure they are the pace-setters once again after a decade of trailing behind the pack, Guardiola is one of a few men that would improve upon the veteran's work.
Arsenal may be tempted to survey the lay of the land, as many other clubs will do over the coming weeks.
There will certainly be other clubs to make their pitch - Real Madrid's supposed interest can perhaps be filed under 'mischievous' - but City have moved far quicker than the competition.
Given Guardiola's announcement that he will not make any decision until the summer, these will be uncertain months for a host of clubs toiling in the shadow of the game's most revered coach.
Manuel Pellegrini is most at risk, but very few managers at England's top clubs can sleep soundly.
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