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Pep Guardiola has been given the backing to build for a long-term future at Manchester City - with the club believing he is preparing for the lengthiest tenure of his managerial career.

Guardiola signed a three-year contract last summer and has indicated he will wait until the final 12 months of that deal before deciding on an extension.

But there is a confidence that the size of the

at the Etihad will prompt him to stay longer than the four years he managed at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.

His transfer

is evidence of his intention to assemble a squad that will not realise its potential until beyond the current length of his contract.

Meanwhile, he has settled quickly in Manchester, having embraced the city - and is enjoying living outside of the glare of the spotlight when away from football.

He regularly spends his downtime in and around the city centre - and is comfortable in the knowledge he can socialise with family and friends without being hassled by fans or media.

The signings of John Stones, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus - with an average age of 20 - have typified his strategy of dramatically reducing the age of the squad he inherited from Manuel Pellegrini.

Monaco’s 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe was also targeted, while it is is believed he gave his approval to the signings of Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne a year before taking charge.

He will be handed another transfer budget in the region of £200m in the summer, with as many as three defenders on his list of priorities.

Tottenham’s

are both potential targets - with another of Spurs’ young stars Dele Alli, monitored.

Find out how to follow Man City vs Stoke City live.

The manner in which Sterling and Sane have blossomed - while Jesus made an immediate impact upon his January move from Palmeiras - has justified Guardiola’s faith in youth.

There is an acknowledgement too from City’s Abu Dhabi hierarchy that it will take time for Guardiola’s revolution to take shape.

Despite the City manager publicly conceding the title, he revealed owner Sheikh Mansour had declared his delight at the campaign so far when they met for the first time last month.

Having pursued the 46-year-old for four years City are now prepared to give him time to make his mark without the pressures applied to his predecessors.

Key to that is his transfer policy.

“My idea is to work for the mid-term and long term,” said Guardiola. “We bought young players because we believe they have a lot of quality.

“We don’t buy players just because they are young. They have a lot of quality, and of course we can invest a lot of money, with Raheem or with Leroy or the other guys.

“It’s because we expect them to be here for four, five, six, seven years and make their careers here at Manchester City. That is the reason why.

“But the first thing we are looking for is the potential, the quality. After that, okay, as young as possible.”

The academy is another area Guardiola wants to exploit, with emerging talents like Jadon Sancho potentially saving the club fortunes in transfer fees.

He added: “That’s why the club has worked with the academy for a long time to be thinking about the next years, with me, without me. Hopefully with me.

“I’d like to enjoy these four or five guys growing and play with them.”