Pep Guardiola is heading for the Premier League after deciding to leave Bayern Munich, where he will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.

The Spanish coach is expected to take over at Manchester City in the summer in what will be a huge blow to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Guardiola has rejected a £280,000-a-week contract to stay in Munich and City are expected to top that and make him the highest paid manager in the Premier League.

Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola will confirm that he will be leaving the German champions

Guardiola's contract in Germany is up at the end of the season and he has been linked with move to England

Carlo Ancelotti is set to take over from the Spaniard at Bayern when he leaves in the summer

City have courted Guardiola, 44, for some time in the belief that he can take them to the pinnacle of European football.

The reputation he has built at Barcelona and Bayern means he can attract superstar players, and having raised £265million from selling a stake in their parent company, City believe this is the time to replace Manuel Pellegrini.

Guardiola, whose deal at Bayern expires in the summer, will go public with his decision to leave the Allianz Arena in the next few days.

Chelsea and United have also been put on high alert by the news, but City's dealmakers are ahead of the game.

Guardiola won two Champions Leagues with Barcelona but is yet to taste European success in Germany

Guardiola's most like destination is Man City, where he is expected to take over from Manuel Pellegrini (left)

GUARDIOLA'S CAREER SO FAR Player Barcelona (1990-2001) 6 La Liga titles, 1 Champions League, 2 Copa del Rey, 1 Cup Winners Cup Brescia (2001-02) Roma (2002-03) Brescia (2003) Al-Ahli (2003-05) Dorados (2005-06) Spain 47 caps, Olympic Gold Medal Manager Barcelona (2008-2012) 3 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey, 2 Champions League, 2 Club World Cup, 4 La Liga Coach of the year awards, 1 FIFA World Coach of the Year Bayern Munich (2013-) 2 Bundesliga titles, 1 German Cup, 1 Club World Cup Advertisement

City sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who was Guardiola's first director of sport at Barcelona, is confident of landing his old colleague, as is chief executive Ferran Soriano, who hails from the Catalan capital.

City will ensure Guardiola remains the world's best paid manager with a deal that will see him earn around £15m a year. Jose Mourinho makes around £13m at Chelsea.

Roman Abramovich would jump at the chance to secure the Spaniard's services and has the resources to match City's offer. But Chelsea are well behind City in the race to land the Spaniard.

United, despite claims to the contrary, are interested in Guardiola given the uncertainty surrounding Louis van Gaal. But Old Trafford chiefs believe Guardiola's mooted switch to the Etihad is at such at an advanced stage that they do not want to declare their interest lest they are then seen to lose out to their arch rivals.

Guardiola began his coaching career at Barcelona in 2008 and his record of 14 trophies in four seasons made him the most successful manager in the club's history.

In a relatively short managerial career to date, Guardiola has consistently won all the biggest trophies

In his first season as Bayern manager Guardiola led them to the Bundesliga title with a 19-point advantage

After taking a year out of the game, he joined Bayern following their Treble win in 2013, and has continued his trophy-laden success in Germany.

The Spaniard had said he will give 'clarity' on his future next week, with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.

'Tonight, I have no answer,' he said after Tuesday's win over Darmstadt. 'Next week there will be clarity.'

Guardiola is showered with beer by his players after winning the second of his back-to-back Bundesliga titles

Karl Heinz Rummenigge revealed last month that he would hold talks with Guardiola over his future

It comes after the club's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed last month that he will hold talks with Guardiola after Bayern play Hannover this Saturday.

He said: 'It is not planned to push back that date. We have always said there will be a decision in 2015.

'I know that it's late, just days before Christmas. But the talks will be held after the Hannover match, and we'll then announce a decision.'