Manuel Pellegrini has a warning for Pep Guardiola ahead of Manchester City exit

Outgoing manager has not spoken directly to his successor

Manuel Pellegrini (Getty)

Manuel Pellegrini has no doubts that Pep Guardiola will be a success at Manchester City, but has warned the incoming manager that the task will become increasingly difficult.

Guardiola, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, takes the helm at the Etihad Stadium this summer with his remit headed by the owners' desire to win the Champions League, a trophy he failed to deliver in Germany despite maintaining Bayern's dominance of the Bundesliga.

Pellegrini, who bows out on Sunday needing a point at Swansea to ensure that Guardiola will have a shot at Europe's elite next season, has won a title and two Capital One Cups in his three-year tenure, as well as reaching the club's first Champions League semi-final.

Officially aware of Guardiola's imminent arrival since February, he insisted there is no bitterness, but at the same time the two men have not spoken, nor does Pellegrini expect a conversation: "No, I finish this season, and then he knows exactly what he must do," said the Chilean.

"It's a very good job, because it's a team and a club that wants to grow every year, so it is one of the best clubs to manage. Any manager who arrives here will be happy.

"Of course it's a new challenge if it's your first time in this league. I'm not just talking about Guardiola, I am also talking about myself, in the first year I arrived here.

"But when you have worked in Europe for so many years as a manager, you are prepared to win that challenge. I am sure that, being in a difficult league, Guardiola will be prepared to do well in it.

"You are preparing for it during your whole career; you are playing Champions League against English teams, and seeing English games every week. Every good manager is prepared."

Pep Guardiola (Getty)

City are one of the world's richest clubs, but Pellegrini believes that the benefits of £8billion TV wealth in the Premier League will present an ever-growing obstacle to the Spaniard's aspirations.

He said: "I think it will get more competitive because the TV rights are increasing every season, so every team will have more money to spend on good players. Every team has good players, but maybe the big ones make a little difference.

"It's also very important to consider in the future that this season, we have played 16 games more than Leicester. Big teams involved in Europe have a double challenge to be successful.

"The reasons we couldn't get near the winners were that, first of all, Leicester was the best team and played very, very well, and secondly, we played a lot more games. A third reason is that we continued in the Champions League to the semi-final and had a disadvantage against United, Arsenal and Tottenham.

"That makes it more difficult to reach the first four places in the Premier, and that is why it will be more difficult in years to come to reach the top four."