Manchester City receive encouragement in pursuit of potential Pep Guardiola successor | OneFootball

Manchester City have received encouragement in their pursuit of PSG boss Luis Enrique as a potential replacement for first-team manager Pep Guardiola, as per reports.

Speculation about Guardiola’s situation has once again come to the fore in recent weeks, after City’s form slightly dipped and they began to fall away from league leaders Arsenal. However, a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday has given the Blues renewed hope in the title race.

Executives at the Etihad Stadium are understood to be preparing for Guardiola’s eventual exit however, with the 55-year-old into the final 18 months of his current deal amid a growing belief within the club that a renewal past 2027 is highly unlikely.

City bosses are understood to have formed an early-stage three man shortlist of candidates to replace Guardiola, though the Catalan has repeatedly stressed in recent press conferences that he is more determined than ever to rebuild his side and return to title-winning ways.

Interestingly, as reported by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Guardiola’s decision on honouring the final year of his Manchester City contract could hinge on whether the Blues are able to win any trophies this season.

Moreover, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has also been touted as a potential replacement for Guardiola, who is expected to make a decision on the final year of his contract towards the end of the current season – or after the season ends.

Enrique ranks highly amongst potential replacements for Guardiola due to his previous success and experience. The 55-year-old started his managerial career with Barcelona B, like Guardiola, before having stints at Roma and Celta Vigo.

He became Barcelona manager in 2014, two years after Guardiola left Catalunya and he achieved immense success at the Camp Nou. Enrique managed 181 games in the dugout for Barca, winning a staggering 76.24% of his games and overseeing a whopping 519 goals scored.

During his three-year stint as Barcelona manager, Enrique twice won the La Liga title and lifted the UEFA Champions League once. He took a break from management after leaving Barcelona before having two stints as the manager of Spain – either side of a sabbatical for personal reasons.

His management of the Spain National Team was solid, if unspectacular, as Spain reached the semi-final of the 2021 UEFA European Championship and the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, before he stepped down.

The Spaniard is currently managing Paris Saint-Germain, a club he has managed to revolutionise in his three years in charge. Enrique rebuilt PSG’s squad, which was previously focused on superstars, and created a group of young, largely French-born players who were willing to work hard.

He achieved tremendous results, winning the domestic treble in the 2023-24 season and winning the continental treble last campaign, claiming PSG’s premier UEFA Champions League title in the process. It is due to this success that O’Rourke believes Enrique could be a successful candidate to replace Guardiola.

“Look, it’s a very tough job,” O’Rourke said on the Transfer Insider Podcast. “Pep Guardiola will be a tough act to follow given the success he’s had at the Etihad. Man City will be looking for an elite manager to replace an elite manager. If you’re probably looking outside that, being Man City they have to look closely at somebody like Luis Enrique.

“Obviously he followed Guardiola at Barcelona, could he follow him at Manchester City as well? Again an elite manager, he’s been there and done it, won it all, worked with big name players. If he doesn’t agree a new contract at PSG maybe, then he could be another one who could come into the reckoning.

“City will need to find a top manager to replace Guardiola because it will definitely be a big void to fill if Guardiola does eventually leave the club.”

Enrique’s contract in Paris is due to expire in the summer of 2027 but the Blues will reportedly also face competition from Manchester United if they want him to replace Guardiola. However, the success of Michael Carrick during his first four games in charge at Old Trafford may cool the Red Devils’ interest.