Five managers Man City could appoint to replace Pep Guardiola as plan emerges

 Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to consider his long-term future at Manchester City after the upcoming Carabao Cup final this weekend. City face Arsenal at Wembley Stadium as the two rivals battle for silverware on Sunday.

The showdown comes soon after City were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 by Real Madrid on Tuesday, losing 5-1 on aggregate. Guardiola’s side suffered a 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week and faced an even bigger challenge after Bernardo Silva was sent off early in the return leg at the Etihad Stadium.

The Daily Mail reports that Guardiola is set to take some time away immediately after the Carabao Cup final to consider what is best for himself and the club. The 55-year-old’s current contract runs until 2027, following an extension signed in November 2024.

His future has increasingly been the subject of speculation, despite the time remaining on his contract. Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly among those to have been courted as a potential successor when Guardiola does call time on his legendary reign. Here, Mirror Football looks at five managers City could appoint to replace Guardiola in the future.

Enzo Maresca

The former Chelsea manager was linked with the Man City job during his time at Stamford Bridge. The Italian remains out of work after leaving the west London side in January.

During his 18-month reign, Maresca won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea. Maresca has previously had two spells with City, initially managing the Elite Development team and later rejoining as a first team assistant in 2022.

He was touted for the City job towards the end of his Chelsea reign and reportedly held talks with the club. The 46-year-old is currently considered the bookies’ favourite to succeed Guardiola.

Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique is the most accomplished coach on this list. The 55-year-old has already succeeded Guardiola once in his career, when he replaced him as Barcelona B manager in 2008.

After spells at Roma and Celta Vigo, Enrique became first team boss at the Camp Nou and led the Catalan club to two La Liga titles and Champions League glory in 2015. Two stints in charge of Spain followed but it is his work at Paris Saint-Germain that is currently earning acclaim.

Enrique was the coach who finally led PSG to a Champions League trophy last season. Like Guardiola, his deal is due to end in 2027, though there have been reports of a possible extension.

Xabi Alonso

The former Liverpool midfielder is out of work after parting ways with Real Madrid in January. Alonso’s previous work at Bayer Leverkusen demonstrated his coaching capabilities.

It was Guardiola who first brought Alonso to Germany, signing him for Bayern Munich in 2014. Upon his retirement, the 44-year-old spent several years as a youth coach before being appointed by Leverkusen in 2022. In his second season, Alonso led the club to their first-ever Bundesliga title, remaining unbeaten throughout the league campaign, and also won the 2024 DFB-Pokal.

Vincent Kompany

A true Manchester City legend, Kompany is now excelling as a manager. Eyebrows were raised when the former Burnley boss replaced Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich in 2024, though the Belgian stepped up to the task, winning the Bundesliga last term.

Kompany played under Guardiola for three seasons towards the end of his City career and would likely welcome an emotional return to the club in the future. However, the Bayern boss signed a contract extension until 2029 in October.

Pep Lijnders

A left-field option for City. The former Liverpool assistant joined Guardiola’s coaching staff in June 2025.

Lijnders worked alongside Jurgen Klopp for most of his time at Anfield and has had two previous stints as a first-team boss with NEC Nijmegen and Red Bull Salzburg, respectively. The precedent for Guardiola being succeeded by his assistant was set by the late Tito Vilanova at Barcelona in 2012.