How would life after Pep Guardiola look like for Manchester City and who can be the successor to his throne?

Pep Guardiola has only 18 months left on his contract with Manchester City. (Image credits – Heute, Licence Details)

Pep Guardiola has entered his final arc of his career with Manchester City and has revealed that the club must be prepared and plan for the future.

The 54-year-old has conquered English football for nine years after dominating Spain and Germany. Pep has taken Man City to heights they've never reached before, winning six Premier League titles and one Champions League title.

However, thinking realistically, it won't be long before Guardiola quits this job and moves elsewhere for his future endeavours. He has 18 months left on his contract, but there have been no talks of renewing it so far.

As per reports, the Citizens have already started looking for replacements, with their topmost candidate being Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who himself was a student of Pep Guardiola.

We will have a look at a few names who could potentially replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and lead them to success.

Potential candidates to replace Guardiola at Manchester City

Enzo Maresca

The top contender to replace Pep at Manchester City is Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. The Italian manager plays a similar brand of football to Pep and has learnt quite a lot from his master.

The Blues have improved quite a lot under Maresca, winning the FIFA Club World Cup. He has previously worked at Man City as well as assistant coach during the 2022-23 campaign, which was one of the most dominating league campaigns from Guardiola’s side. Maresa lacks the experience required to replace Pep but has the potential to do well, as he knows the club and has learnt his craft from the master of the game.

Roberto De Zerbi

Another Italian on our list, Roberto De Zerbi is simply a quality manager, previously impressing in the Premier League with Brighton and now breaking records at Marseille in Ligue 1.

His style of football is offensive, which Man City have been used to playing in recent years, and he has the experience of managing in the Premier League and European competitions as well. He could very well be one of the best possible replacements for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Vincent Kompany 

Vincent Kompany could follow the path of Pep Guardiola and join his former club from Bayern Munich. The Belgian international has impressed in his short stint so far in Germany and has been praised for his style of football.

Although he had a disastrous season in the Premier League when Burnley were relegated, he was praised for deploying an offensive brand of football despite all odds. He could be a decent replacement but lacks experience.

Andoni Iraola

Andoni Iraola, similar to Roberto De Zerbi, has impressed the scouts and pundits all over the globe in his stint with Bournemouth. The Cherries are playing brilliant football with limited resources, and the Spanish boss has shown tactical versatility, which is impressive.

However, it could be a bit risky giving him the job at Man City, as previously we have seen Graham Potter failing to manage a star-studded squad after a successful period with Brighton.

Xavi

Xavi, similar to Pep Guardiola, will bring football knowledge from La Masia and shares the same passion for attacking and possession-based football. The Spaniard won a league title with FC Barcelona, but it didn't end on a good note, as he went into bad terms with Joan Laporta.

Although he has less experience, Xavi is tactically adept and could potentially do a good job in replacing Pep. He is a free agent now and is yet to return to managing since leaving Barça.

Oliver Glasner

German coach Oliver Glasner, who helped Crystal Palace clinch their first major trophy by lifting the FA Cup, could be a potential replacement as well. The Eagles are doing brilliantly in the league and might go on to qualify for the Champions League.

However, his style of football is a bit pragmatic and not possession-based, which could be a problem for a city, as the players are not suited to playing such an intense brand of football like Glasner’s.