The most-wanted manager in soccer -- Pep Guardiola -- admitted he would like to return to coaching next season.
The former Barcelona boss is currently on a one-year sabbatical after enjoying unprecedented success in his time with the Catalan club. A 12-month break to recharge his batteries, has led to some of the biggest clubs in the world chasing his signature, when he does decide to return.
Guardiola said he would indeed like to coach again at the start of the 2013-14 season. "Yes I would like to come back to coaching," Guardiola told reporters during the FIFA Ballon d'Or ceremony. "I have been out of coaching for a year and it's what I would like but there is no reason to give any more specific details.
"I don't have a team to go to but I would like to go back to coaching. I have taken a decision to return to coaching but beyond that no decision has been taken."
Summer of 2013 will be all about Guardiola - the questions of which club he will join and where that would put the rest of the chasing pack are sure to rumble across Europe.
It is believed, the place that the 41-year-old is most likely to land up in is the English Premier League. Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with Guardiola.
Chelsea have been the most aggressive, with Roman Abramovich already trying twice, but failing, to entice Guardiola into returning early from his sabbatical. Rafa Benitez has only been named interim manager, and Guardiola remains the first choice at Stamford Bridge.
However, the Premier League champions are also going to make a big push for the former Barcelona man, with City already appointing former Barcelona men Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano as sporting director and chief executive respectively.
The Barcelonafication of City, including the training grounds and methods, has led to suggestions that Guardiola will be actively pursued and indeed enticed to take the job at the Etihad, at the expense of Roberto Mancini, who is under increasing pressure to deliver after another unsuccessful campaign in Europe.
Manchester United and Arsenal will be about one thing and one thing alone: Are Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger ready to retire at the end of the season?
There have been plenty of rumbles about this being Ferguson's last season as Manchester United manager. However, Ferguson himself has admitted he would like to continue on for another couple of seasons at least.
Wenger is not one to rescind his contract, which runs until 2014, and end his reign at a club, where he holds so much control, abruptly. If the Frenchman were to move upstairs in a director's role, however, things might be different.
There are also strong contenders outside the Premier League, with AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain vying for Guardiola's signature.
Out of the four, Bayern is the most viable option and Guardiola would definitely be interested in taking up the top job with the German giants.
There is going to be one club at the beginning of the season, grinning from ear to ear after sealing the signature of Guardiola; which one that will be and how successful the appointment will turn out to be is anybody's guess.
