Five managers named as potential Pep Guardiola successors at Manchester City | OneFootball

A list of five potential options for Manchester City have been named in their eventual search for a Pep Guardiola successor, whenever that task may be required.

As has been widely mentioned in all quarters of the wider football community lately, Pep Guardiola is firmly into the final months of his existing Etihad Stadium contract with a decision yet to be made on whether to extend terms.

Manchester City will be keen to ensure that Guardiola takes on at least a tenth season in charge at the football club, but will also give the 53-year-old the necessary time and space to weigh up his options, as a sign of respect towards all of his achievements since 2016.

With that being said, Manchester City officials will not want to be left scrambling for options later on in the season, should Guardiola leave them with a need for a new manager and as such they are understood to be forming contingency plans.

The latest line of reporting sees a long list of names put in connection with the leading Etihad Stadium coaching job, should the club’s Director of Football and wider hierarchy need to open discussions over a new appointment for the first time since 2016.

As listed by The Mirror’s David McDonnell, Girona’s Michel has ‘put himself in the frame’ for the leading role at Manchester City after guiding the City Football Group club to the UEFA Champions League.

Furthermore, Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is also likely to be in the mix to succeed Pep Guardiola, and those chances have been heightened given his close friend and the Portuguese club’s Director of Football will succeed Txiki Begiristain in 2025.

McDonnell also lists Brentford’s Thomas Frank and former Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi as names that would be under consideration by Manchester City, as would their former captain Vincent Kompany, who is currently in his first season at Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola has been openly positive about all of the aforementioned coaches, and has insisted on more than one occasion that he feels as though Kompany would become Manchester City manager at some stage in the Belgian’s coaching career.

Guardiola recent insisted that Vincent Kompany would be a future Manchester City manager towards the end of last season, stating, “Yeah. Yeah, yeah for sure. You will call me when this is going to happen.”

Bayern Munich – who appointed Kompany from relegated Burnley ahead of the ongoing season – also revealed that they sought out the opinion of Guardiola when weighing up whether to finalise a deal for the former Manchester City captain to become their next manager.

Bayern board member, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed at the time, “Guardiola spoke to us in a very positive way about Vincent. He had him at Manchester City as captain and also followed him at Burnley.”