Man City agree Hugo Viana deal to replace Txiki Begiristain as director of football

Manchester City are reportedly set to appoint Hugo Viana as their new director of football.

The reigning Premier League champions are on the lookout for a replacement for Txiki Begiristain, who is expected to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the current season.

Viana was quickly linked as a potential replacement for Begiristain, having impressed over the last six years in the same role at Sporting Lisbon following an initial stint with Belenenses.

The former Newcastle and Portugal midfielder has been involved in a number of key signings for the Primeira Liga champions, who have sold players on for big money to operate at a healthy profit as well as achieving continued domestic success.

The Daily Mail reported on Friday that City have now agreed a deal with Viana to take over from Begiristain next summer, with the club said to want a six-month handover period before then.

Former Barcelona and Spain winger Begiristain, 60, has been at City since 2012 after serving as Barca’s director of football between 2003-10, playing an instrumental role - along with CEO Ferran Soriano - in their rise to English football dominance and the appointment of Pep Guardiola as manager in 2016.

His exit will lead to further speculation over the future of Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to agree an extension as he continues not to be drawn on the subject during pre-match press conferences.

Viana’s arrival could lead to links with Ruben Amorim, who has led Sporting - who are due to host Man City in the new-look Champions League in Lisbon next month - to two league titles and two domestic cup wins since he arrived from Braga in 2020 after his €10million buyout clause was activated under Viana’s watch.

Amorim has been linked to several of Europe’s biggest clubs over recent years, including Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp announced his departure earlier in 2024, but remains at the Jose Alvalade Stadium with Sporting currently top of the Portuguese top-flight again ahead of rivals Porto and Benfica with a 100 per cent record so far this season having previously not won the title for 19 years prior to his arrival.