Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola make contact over Manchester City squad | OneFootball

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and his successor Enzo Maresca have made contact over the first-team squad personnel at the Etihad Stadium.

Following the emotional conclusion of Guardiola’s historic, decade-long tenure – wrapped up with a domestic cup double before yielding the Premier League title to Arsenal – the club has wasted no time in activating a pre-planned succession strategy.

Incoming first-team manager Enzo Maresca, who has finalised a three-year contract to take the Etihad Stadium hot seat, is believed to have initiated structural planning with Sporting Director Hugo Viana, ensuring the transition between managers remains seamless.

This collaborative handover arrives at a critical juncture for the club, who face a summer of intensive squad regeneration following the high-profile exits of veteran mainstays Bernardo Silva and John Stones.

Guardiola and Maresca discuss Man City squad

Now, according to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, Manchester City had been preparing for life after Pep Guardiola ‘for some time’, and that is ‘certainly’ the case when it comes to the club’s transfer plans for the upcoming summer market.

While it had been previously reported that incoming manager Enzo Maresca had been in contact with director of football Hugo Viana about possible targets, it is now further detailed that the Italian and Pep Guardiola have ‘been in contact’ about current players.

A crucial summer of transition for Manchester City

The direct communication between Guardiola and his former assistant signals a highly calculated effort to preserve the tactical DNA that yielded 20 trophies over the last 10 years at Manchester City.

Maresca is seemingly utilising Guardiola’s knowledge of individual players to identify exactly which squad components are primed to execute his formulas and maintain the club’s exceptionally high standards immediately.

This background consultation is expected to streamline Viana’s immediate transfer plans, allowing the recruitment team to prioritise specialised targets like Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson.

What happens next will depend on how Maresca integrates his new backroom staff, including expected addition and former City goalkeeper Willy Caballero, ahead of the players reporting for pre-season duties in July.