Ex-Man City star shares Pep Guardiola successor theory with exit clause hint

View 2 Images

Vincent Kompany was handed a new Bayern Munich contract to ward off any interest in the manager from Manchester City when Pep Guardiola eventually leaves the club, suggests former Germany midfielder Dietmar Hamann.

Kompany recently put pen to paper on a contract that sees him committed to the club until 2029, despite having two years remaining on his deal . The City legend was appointed by the Bundesliga giants in May 2024 and won the league in his first season with the club.

The Belgian's side are setting the pace once again this season and enjoy a perfect record after seven matches, with Kompany's stock now at an all-time high after starting his coaching career with Anderlecht and Burnley .

City boss Guardiola signed an extension at the Etihad in November 2024 and is under contract until 2027. Their previously matching expiration dates could have provided the perfect opportunity for Kompany to return to the club with which he won four Premier League titles as a player.

So, as much as Kompany's deal could be a reward for a promising spell, ex-City, Liverpool , and Newcastle midfielder Hamann reckons Bayern are protecting their investment, alhough the pundit is not ruling out the possibility of a clause that would facilitate Kompany becoming Guardiola's successor.

“FC Bayern extended Kompany’s contract until 2029, even though he still had 20 months left on his contract. I mean, the extension wasn’t a must, but I understand why they did it,” Hamann told Sky Germany .

“Bayern probably have in mind that Manchester City will be interested in Kompany at some point when Pep Guardiola retires. It would be interesting to know if Kompany has a clause in his contract.

"Christoph Freund didn’t reveal anything about that on Wednesday evening, but he didn’t completely deny it either.”

View 2 Images

Kompany did not concern himself with the timing of new terms being offered. The 39-year-old instead was only interested in avoiding any distractions during the season.

“I didn’t really think about the timing; I was too busy preparing for the games," he said. "Then the proposal came up, and my only request was that it doesn’t become a big topic and that we could quickly refocus on the next game.

"It probably surprised you [journalists] more than me. It was important to me that there were no big discussions, no speculation, just a quick and clear answer."

Club president Herbert Hainer painted the deal as a strong vote of confidence in their manager. "The contract extension with Vincent Kompany is a strong vote of confidence from the club after the great job he's done up to now, as well as a clear sign for continuity and stability at Bayern," he said.

"Vincent is held in high regard by the players, the club management and the fans. We're happy about the early extension of our cooperation."

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.