Manchester City agree deal for Txiki Begiristain replacement as new sporting director named | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City have agreed a deal for their new sporting director to replace Txiki Begiristain in 2025.

The 60-year-old has largely been credited for the remarkable success of Manchester City’s playing squads and signings over a 13-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium, having first taken on the role in 2012 after leaving Barcelona.

Begiristain was a crucial figure in luring Pep Guardiola over to the Etihad Stadium in 2016, with the pair having held a strong personal relationship from their respective careers at Camp Nou, and that bond translated into a close working relationship in Manchester.

However, having originally planned to leave the club at the age of 55, Begiristain extended his stay by a further five years, and his exit at the end of this season will not come as any surprise to those within the club, who have remained informed on the situation as it has developed.

For Manchester City, they will now bring in a direct replacement from one of Europe’s top clubs, with the plan being to integrate the new name into the set-up in early 2025, before they take over the role for the summer market later in the year.

Now, as per the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Manchester City have agreed a deal to bring in Sporting CP’s Portuguese official Hugo Viana to replace Txiki Begiristain as their director of football from 2025.

In an interesting detail, Manchester City travel to Sporting in the UEFA Champions League in mid-November, and Gaughan reports that Viana’s move to the Etihad Stadium is expected to be finalised before then.

Viana is a former footballer that featured at Newcastle across a short stay, and topped City’s list of candidates after impressing over six years at Sporting, whilst working with manager Ruben Amorim – a coach whom Viana sanctioned a £10 million fee for from Braga in 2020.

Having won two of the last four Portuguese titles, and remaining top of the Primeira Liga so far this season with eight consecutive victories to their name, Viana’s track record with signings will no doubt have caught the eyes of many.

In fact, a report from Portugal earlier this week had already claimed that the 41-year-old had rejected two opportunities to make a move to the Premier League in recent seasons, turning down director of football roles at both Newcastle United and Aston Villa.