This was a normal meeting between the owner of a football club and his manager, one that takes place at least once a year where possible, and was a celebration of another season decorated with silverware.

Pep Guardiola's visit to Abu Dhabi to present Manchester City's latest trophies to Sheikh Mansour is not unusual, and was seen as a celebration of a fourth Premier League title in a row. Guardiola and Mansour posed, arms interlocked, with four fingers raised to the cameras, and the owner wore a massive smile when Guardiola walked in to hand him the latest Premier League trophy.

When the pair sat down to talk, alongside Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain, the five men were in familiar settings. An end-of-season debrief in palatial surroundings and a look ahead to the following campaign - but out of camera-shot there may have been one or two elephants in the room.

The first is City's 115 Premier League charges, closely related to the club's financial dealings with Abu Dhabi, as well as the current legal action being taken against the league. The conversations will surely have touched upon those issues, and the implications for transfer budgets, future planning and contingencies.

City maintain their innocence at the charges, and were confident enough to bring the legal action, so this latest meeting won't change anything in that respect.

Sheikh Mansour's message to Guardiola was reportedly to continue striving for success, a sign that the owner remains as committed as ever to City. The National report that Mansour told Guardiola 'that City's title wins serve as motivation for the club to continue its progress'.

These are, of course, fairly standard comments to be released publicly. Strong enough to make a headline, but vague enough to steer well clear of specifics of the conversation.

Guardiola's deal is up in 12 months, and reports say he won't extend. He himself admits he is closer to leaving City than staying another seven seasons, and he will give himself time as he has in the past to make his decision. He meets Mansour every summer, where possible, and City will travel to Abu Dhabi for a mid-season training camp if they can as they did in January this year. Guardiola travelled to the Gulf state in November 2022 for talks before signing his latest deal, citing those meetings as a key factor in extending.

Surely Guardiola's contract was discussed this week, and maybe some clarity gained on both sides, but maybe Mansour and Khaldoon were better simply reassuring him that their commitment remains as strong as ever than pressing for a decision straight away.

If they have shown the manager where they stand, he has everything he needs to make the best call when the time is right.