Pep Guardiola is on the verge of leaving Manchester City after a trophy-laden decade in charge and the club already have a replacement in mind ahead of the summer
Manchester City chiefs have already got their Pep Guardiola replacement lined up(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Former Leicester City and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has reportedly already agreed to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City after news broke on Monday night that the 55-year-old is set to step down at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
TalkSPORT claims Maresca, who left Stamford Bridge earlier this year after reportedly holding talks with the Man City hierarchy about replacing Guardiola, is already lined up to take on the job.
The Daily Mail claims Guardiola will leave City after this weekend’s game against Aston Villa, with a trophy parade scheduled for next week. His current contract is set to expire in 2027, but the report claims he’ll leave the club a year early, while the club are staying silent on the matter.
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Maresca and City legend Vincent Kompany are two of the big names to have been linked with the job in recent weeks, but it’s the former Chelsea boss who is understood to be the frontrunner.
The Italian head coach left Chelsea after the turn of the year, having reportedly held talks with City chiefs about potentially replacing Guardiola at the end of this season.
The City boss walked out of two interviews after the FA Cup Final win over Chelsea, when asked about whether or not he’d be back to defend his crown next season. Guardiola has repeatedly pointed to his contract ending in 2027 when asked about his future this season, though his time at the Etihad looks poised to come to a close a year early.
During his ten years with the club, Guardiola has won 20 trophies, including the club’s first-ever Champions League title, six Premier League titles, of which four came in a row.
Maresca worked alongside Guardiola during the 2022-23 campaign, when City won the treble, the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. The Italian then left to take charge at Leicester City, winning the Championship title with the Foxes, before joining Chelsea and winning the Conference League and Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca left Chelsea by mutual consent in January 2026, after reportedly telling the club hierarchy about talks he’d held with City about potentially replacing Guardiola at the Etihad.
However, despite those claims, TalkSPORT claims Maresca did not know for sure whether or not he’d be replacing the legendary manager until March.
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