From France: Pep Guardiola to leave Manchester City with replacement identified | OneFootball

Manchester City have reportedly decided upon their ideal managerial replacement for Pep Guardiola ahead of an expected departure at the end of the season.

The Catalan coach is into the final 15 months of a contract that officially expires in June 2027, but the atmosphere around the Etihad Stadium suggests an earlier exit is now a distinct possibility.

Following the departure of long-term ally Txiki Begiristain and the arrival of Hugo Viana as Sporting Director, a structural changing of the guard is seemingly already well underway at the club.

Speculation regarding Pep Guardiola’s future continued to heighten in the lead up to the March international break, and while the 55-year-old led the club to a 0-2 Carabao Cup Final victory over Arsenal, a domestic double come May would provide an ideal natural end to his decade-long tenure.

Pep Guardiola to ‘almost certainly’ leave Man City

Now, according to French newspaper L’Équipe, Pep Guardiola will almost certainly leave Manchester City at the end of the ongoing season, with his successor already known in some quarters.

It is claimed that those ‘working at executive levels in European football’ are aware that former Chelsea and Leicester manager Enzo Maresca is the chosen successor from the viewpoint of Manchester City.

Why Man City would choose Enzo Maresca

The Italian coach is a figure well-known to the Manchester City hierarchy, having previously served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022/23 Treble-winning campaign and leading the Elite Development Squad to glory.

His recent availability – following a high-profile exit from Chelsea upon the turn of the year despite winning the Club World Cup and Conference League – has only accelerated links to Manchester City’s contingency planning.

Enzo Maresca’s tactical philosophy will be viewed by some supporters as the closest to the current squad, which has seen heavy investment in younger talents over the course of the last 18 months.

If Pep Guardiola does indeed step aside from his role as head coach this summer, the transition to Enzo Maresca would represent a commitment to continuity of the philosophy established over the last decade, rather than a tactical overhaul.