Active Premier League manager admired within Manchester City as part of Pep Guardiola replacement hunt | OneFootball

Manchester City hold admiration for Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola as the shortlist of potential Pep Guardiola replacements develops in the background.

The Blues’ contingency planning has been an open secret for several months, with the dressing room itself understood to be well aware of reports circulating around Guardiola’s potential departure at the end of the season – a year ahead of the expiry of his current deal in June 2027.

Guardiola has delayed a final decision on his future until the end of May, with the 55-year-old understood to be taking stock of where Manchester City are under his stewardship before making a call on whether he will be in charge of the domestic treble hopefuls next term.

A growing body of reporting across the English and European press has suggested the Catalan is increasingly likely to leave this summer, though he has maintained publicly that he is under contract and focused solely on the task at hand.

City director of football Hugo Viana has been conducting due diligence on potential replacements for some time, with a shortlist of candidates understood to have been assembled within the Etihad Stadium as the club prepares for all possible outcomes.

Report: City admire Iraola and have held Maresca talks

According to the information of The i Paper’s Mark Douglas, Manchester City admire Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, having also held discussions with Enzo Maresca – as well as Xabi Alonso and Vincent Kompany most widely touted as possible replacements.

As expected, it is further explained that the club’s ‘number one wish’ and clear preference would be for Guardiola to stay and complete a rebuild job he began in the summer of 2024.

Iraola has been on City’s radar as a potential successor for several months, with the Bournemouth head coach widely regarded as one of the most progressive and tactically innovative managers in the Premier League. His high-press, possession-first philosophy is viewed as a natural stylistic continuation of Guardiola’s principles at the Etihad Stadium.

Maresca’s discussions with City are consistent with previous reporting that the former Chelsea boss held preliminary conversations with the club’s hierarchy during his time at Stamford Bridge, with the Italian having previously served as Guardiola’s assistant and managed City’s Elite Development Squad during the 2020-21 campaign.

Alonso, meanwhile, has been identified on City’s shortlist since early 2026 following his sacking by Real Madrid, while Kompany – currently managing Bayern Munich – retains strong support from within the club owing to his background as Manchester City captain.

What is the wider context around Guardiola’s future?

City are conducting thorough succession planning while simultaneously making clear that their preferred outcome is continuity with Guardiola, who has delivered six Premier League titles and a maiden UEFA Champions League trophy en route a historic treble in the 2022-23 season to the Etihad Stadium.

Club executives have recently formally approached Guardiola over his plans for the 2026-27 campaign, with Viana and co understood to be preparing for all eventualities as they navigate a summer that is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential for the club in recent memory.

Guardiola’s response to that conversation has not been made public. Should he ultimately confirm a departure, City’s managerial transition would coincide with a wide range of first-team exits expected at the end of the season, placing even greater importance on a smooth and well-planned handover.

For now, the club’s position is clear – they want their greatest-ever manager to stay. The decision, as it has always been, remains Guardiola’s alone to make.