Pep Guardiola has demanded a meeting with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich before taking a decision on whether to become Chelsea’s next manager, reports the Sun. The ex-Barcelona boss earlier claimed he would take a year-long break from football management after leaving the Catalans at the end this season but it is now understood he is willing to hold discussions with the European champions.

The report said Chelsea had been chasing Guardiola with an annual £11mn offer to take charge at Stamford Bridge and the Spaniard has also been promised there will be no pressure to win titles in his initial two years at the helm.

The Blues’ chiefs reportedly held talks with Guardiola in Spain on Monday but the 41 year old informed them he wanted to negotiate directly with Abramovich. The Russian is believed to be keen to meet and convince the manager to make the much-speculated move to west London.

“If it takes a big meeting with Abramovich to get the deal done, that’s what must happen,” the report quotes a Chelsea source as saying. The situation raises further questions about the future of interim boss Roberto Di Matteo, who is apparently not interested in continuing as caretaker till Guardiola returns from his break.