Pep Guardiola’s existing contract at Manchester City is valid until 2025 and the 53-year-old has been tipped to leave the club when this deal ends.
According to reports from Spain, the serial winner feels ‘less and less sane every day’ and while a final decision on his future hasn’t yet been made, the current feeling within the board doesn’t ‘invite optimism’.
Former Everton chief Keith Wyness thinks that Guardiola’s exit could coincide with the outcome of the 115 charges that currently hang over the club’s head.
“I think he may be ready for a fresh challenge,” Wyness told Football Insider. “There’s no doubt that he’s at the top of his game and he’s a superb manager, but everything has its time.
“I think his exit may coincide with the results of these cases. It may just be for football reasons after all.”
Replacing a manager like Guardiola certainly won’t be straightforward, but we have gathered nine potential managers who could step into his shoes in 2025.
Roberto De Zerbi
Having already been linked with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, it only seems natural that Man City would consider De Zerbi when Guardiola eventually calls it quits.
The brand of football would certainly be a hit at the Etihad and the Italian boss has previously spoken about the influence Guardiola has had on his own career.
“I became a coach for Guardiola because I loved his Barcelona,” De Zerbi said last year. “I studied him a lot, I didn’t copy him but I took when I started to be a coach, before when I finished to be a player. Pep is still number one.”
According to Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Davide Chinellato, De Zerbi is ‘at the top of the list’ to replace Guardiola when his contract ends in 2025. Watch this space.
Michel
Having guided Girona to second in La Liga, it’s only natural that Michel is going to be linked with some of the biggest vaccines from around Europe.
The links to Man City are especially prevalent as Girona are part-owned by the City Football Group. With this in mind, Man City will no doubt have their eye on the 48-year-old boss.
Even Girona’s sporting director, Quique Carcel, has suggested that Michel has the minerals to succeed Guardiola when the time comes.
“He has the talent to lead a big club like Manchester City (but) still needs time to get there to this type of benches,” Carcel told Mundo Deportivo.
“City plays football that Míchel, with a smaller club, is being able to do. Although for him to train them, a lot of coordination has to happen, like Pep (Guardiola) making the decision to leave.
“(He’s) happy in the team, with a contract and with the desire to continue making the project great. The pressures in Girona are different from those he may have on a bigger bench.”
Xabi Alonso
Having already snubbed the Liverpool and Bayern Munich jobs, it would be quite the turn-up for the books if Alonso was then to join Man City.
The Spanish coach seems happy to stick around at Bayer Leverkusen for the time being, but questions regarding his long-term future are still being asked.
Alonso is heavily fancied to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid when the time comes, but could Man City beat them to the punch?
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has backed up the claims that Man City could be Alonso’s next destination, although there are bound to be plenty of clubs fighting for his signature.
“I’ll tell you a little secret,” Balague told BBC’s The Football News Show.
“When he went to Bayer Leverkusen, he told his agent ‘do you know what, I am thinking that if it doesn’t go well at Bayer Leverkusen, I’ll go back to Real Sociedad.
“But if it goes well, from here, it’s Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich.
“Let me add Manchester City to the equation and that’s where Xabi Alonso could go next. When, is a different matter.”
Mikel Arteta
After spending three years as Guardiola’s assistant, Arteta is now considered as one of Man City’s toughest rivals. He’s implemented his own philosophy at Arsenal and has taken the club from eighth into title contention.
Whether he’d switch the Emirates for the Etihad is another question, but the 42-year-old is certainly held in high regard by the Man City board.
Michel
Having guided Girona to second in La Liga, it’s only natural that Michel is going to be linked with some of the biggest vaccines from around Europe.
The links to Man City are especially prevalent as Girona are part-owned by the City Football Group. With this in mind, Man City will no doubt have their eye on the 48-year-old boss.
Even Girona’s sporting director, Quique Carcel, has suggested that Michel has the minerals to succeed Guardiola when the time comes.
“He has the talent to lead a big club like Manchester City (but) still needs time to get there to this type of benches,” Carcel told Mundo Deportivo.
“City plays football that Míchel, with a smaller club, is being able to do. Although for him to train them, a lot of coordination has to happen, like Pep (Guardiola) making the decision to leave.
“(He’s) happy in the team, with a contract and with the desire to continue making the project great. The pressures in Girona are different from those he may have on a bigger bench.”
Xabi Alonso
Having already snubbed the Liverpool and Bayern Munich jobs, it would be quite the turn-up for the books if Alonso was then to join Man City.
The Spanish coach seems happy to stick around at Bayer Leverkusen for the time being, but questions regarding his long-term future are still being asked.
Alonso is heavily fancied to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid when the time comes, but could Man City beat them to the punch?
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague has backed up the claims that Man City could be Alonso’s next destination, although there are bound to be plenty of clubs fighting for his signature.
“I’ll tell you a little secret,” Balague told BBC’s The Football News Show.
“When he went to Bayer Leverkusen, he told his agent ‘do you know what, I am thinking that if it doesn’t go well at Bayer Leverkusen, I’ll go back to Real Sociedad.
“But if it goes well, from here, it’s Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich.
“Let me add Manchester City to the equation and that’s where Xabi Alonso could go next. When, is a different matter.”
Mikel Arteta
After spending three years as Guardiola’s assistant, Arteta is now considered as one of Man City’s toughest rivals. He’s implemented his own philosophy at Arsenal and has taken the club from eighth into title contention.
Whether he’d switch the Emirates for the Etihad is another question, but the 42-year-old is certainly held in high regard by the Man City board.
Xavi
With Xavi set to remain as Barcelona boss until the end of next season, the timing could line up for him to replace Guardiola when his contract expires.
Given both Xavi and Guardiola are cut from the same cloth, it’s not totally outlandish to think that he would be on Man City’s radar.
Unlike a lot of the other managers on this list, Xavi knows what it takes to win a league title, having won La Liga with Barcelona last season.
Julian Nagelsmann
The German head coach had recently been linked with Bayern Munich and Man Utd, but instead of returning to club football, he instead decided to extend his contract with the German national team.
Nagelsmann is under contract with Germany until 2026, although could Man City tempt him to return to club football before then?
Still just 36 years old, Nagelsmann is the youngest manager on this entire list and it wouldn’t be that surprising to see him in the Man City dugout one day.
Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. He’s recently been linked with Bayern Munich and Man Utd but seems to be holding off from taking either of those jobs.
Zidane certainly knows what it takes to get the best out of world class players and while his philosophy differs from Guardiola’s, he absolutely has a winning formula up his sleeve
