Manchester City ‘watching’ Pep Guardiola successor option ‘very closely’ – Director plays down exit talk | OneFootball

The apparent go-to option to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City remains at the very heart of his current employers’ long-term vision, it has been made clear.

City’s long-term planning around a future beyond Guardiola has remained a recurring theme, with Etihad Stadium officials mapping out possible scenarios ahead of the Catalan’s 2027 contract expiry, with maintained admiration for several emerging coaches across Europe.

Much of the external discussion in recent weeks has centred around coaches with City connections, including Vincent Kompany. The former club captain remains viewed by many fans as a natural successor, and this follows on from comments made by former City defender Bacary Sagna, who recently stated Kompany’s personal attachment to the club made him the ideal candidate.

But while those sentiments have sparked debate, City are likely to continue to emphasise that their immediate focus remains on backing Pep Guardiola’s long-term project through to 2027, and perhaps beyond.

Elsewhere, interest in the Premier League giants’ managerial future has been heightened by their ongoing evolution behind the scenes. Figures such as Pepijn Lijnders, now part of the coaching setup after his spell with RB Salzburg, have also been highlighted in reports discussing the club’s tactical trajectory beyond the current era.

Now, according to German newspaper SportBILD – as translated and relayed by Sport Witness – Manchester City are ‘watching him very closely’, on the subject of former club captain and now Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany.

It is explained that the Premier League giants remain on the lookout for Pep Guardiola’s replacement, with the Catalan’s current Etihad Stadium contract due to expire in the summer of 2027.

However, speaking in a new interview, Bayern Munich director of football Max Eberl has largely played down any talk of Manchester City swooping for the Belgian coach in the coming years.

“We see Vincent Kompany working every day – and seeing it up close is even more impressive than watching from the outside,” said Eberl.

“When a coach is successful at FC Bayern, he’s naturally also of interest to other clubs with very strong financial resources,” he continued.

“But Vinny senses that something is being built here, and he wants to be a part of it and help shape it. Furthermore, we’ll stick together if we ever hit a rough patch. He’s a perfect fit for FC Bayern.”

For City, Kompany’s trajectory at Bayern Munich will inevitably remain of interest and should he continue to develop into a top-tier European coach over the next seasons, it is likely the Etihad hierarchy will keep his name high on their list of long-term considerations.

However, the timing remains the defining factor. Vincent Kompany is committed to a major project at Bayern and appears embedded in the club’s multi-year strategy having recently penned a new long-term contract until 2029.

With Pep Guardiola contracted until 2027 and publicly reaffirming his satisfaction at Manchester City, the window for any reunion with Vincent Kompany may depend entirely on how managerial cycles align.