Man City boss Pep Guardiola is heading out with his replacement already identified | OneFootball

Manchester City could be heading towards the end of the Pep Guardiola era, with fresh reports suggesting the club are preparing for life after their legendary manager. According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the feeling inside City is that Guardiola will leave at the end of the season unless there is a late change, and everything is already in place for Enzo Maresca to step in as his replacement.

This is still not officially confirmed by Manchester City. In fact, Guardiola recently insisted he would not leave before his contract expires in 2027, saying he planned to see out his deal.

That makes the situation slightly confusing, because the public message from Guardiola is very different from the latest transfer-market noise.

Is Pep Guardiola leaving Man City?

If Guardiola does leave, it would be one of the biggest managerial changes in modern football.

Since arriving in 2016, he has completely reshaped Man City and English football in general.

City became a winning machine under him, not just because of spending, but because of the standards, tactical detail and dominance he built every week.

That is why replacing him is almost impossible. City are not just looking for a good coach.

They need someone who understands the club’s structure, the style of play, the demands of possession football and the pressure of winning constantly.

That is where Maresca makes sense. He already knows City well. He worked in the club’s system before and managed their Elite Development Squad, winning Premier League 2 in 2020/21.

He then showed his own managerial ability by winning the Championship with Leicester and earning promotion to the Premier League.

Maresca would be ideal Guardiola replacment

His football has always carried Guardiola-style ideas: building from the back, dominating possession, using inverted full-backs and controlling games through midfield.

His Chelsea spell was more complicated, but it also showed his quality.

He led Chelsea back into the Champions League with a fourth-place finish, won the UEFA Conference League and lifted the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.

However, his time at Stamford Bridge ended early in January 2026 after tensions with the club’s ownership.

That background makes him an interesting option for City. He is not a random outsider.

He is someone who has worked inside the City model, understands Guardiola’s football and has already dealt with a big Premier League club.