Manchester City hold ‘huge admiration’ in Premier League manager with Pep Guardiola replacement search ongoing

Etihad Stadium officials are ongoing in their tentative search for a replacement for current manager Pep Guardiola, when the time comes for the Catalan to depart.

The 53-year-old manager has won everything there is to win during his eight-season stay with Manchester City to date, following on from a 2023 calendar year that saw him successfully claim the remaining continental titles alluding him and his players.

City’s UEFA Champions League triumph over Inter in Istanbul was followed up by a UEFA Super Cup win against Sevilla in Athens, before completing a continental Treble in Saudi Arabia with a FIFA Club World Cup success.

While Manchester City fans will be hoping that the success of last season sparks a run of continental triumphs alongside their domestic dominance, much of that will depend on Pep Guardiola’s desire to remain at the club.

With Guardiola’s current Etihad agreement running until the summer of 2025, a new report has detailed the ongoing stance being taken by officials at the City Football Academy amid the uncertainty over the Catalan boss’ future.

That is according to the information of HITC’s Graeme Bailey, who reports that Manchester City’s hierarchy are ‘keeping an eye on the coaching market’, with club officials not wanting to be ‘caught off guard’ should Pep Guardiola decide to leave the club in the coming years.

Interestingly, the report claims that City have a ‘huge admiration’ for Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, which is said to ‘stem from his time with the club’. The report does however clarify that it is ‘normal practice’ for any club to make sure they are well placed for a managerial change.

Other names that Manchester City will likely be keeping a watchful eye on over the course of the forthcoming 2024/25 season could include Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi, as well as Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso.

The Etihad Stadium has also seen a number of former coaches and players go on to make managerial careers for themselves which could also have attracted some level of interest from Etihad bosses.

Enzo Maresca exited Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff last summer to take on the lead role at Leicester City in their impressive pursuit of Premier League promotion this season, while Vincent Kompany is currently the manager of Burnley in the top-flight.