Guardiola’s mother, pictured with her son in 2015, has died from coronavirus

Manchester City executives and Pep Guardiola are ready to take a pay cut when he returns to the club after the death of his mother.

Guardiola is in Barcelona, where Dolors Sala Carrio died at the age of 82 after contracting coronavirus.

It is understood that before her death, the City manager and senior executives at the club informally discussed the possibility of taking a reduction in salary to help absorb the impact of football being suspended. Guardiola earns about £20 million a year.

City executives including Txiki Begiristain, the director of football, and Ferran Soriano, the chief executive, are in favour of taking pay cuts so non-playing staff can be paid in full during the pandemic.

One City executive told The Times last night: