Five Managers Who Could Take Over From Pep Guardiola at Manchester City

Who Should Be Pep Guardiola's Successor at Manchester City?

On Thursday, David Ornstein of the Athletic revealed that Manchester City were advancing work of identifying a successor for Pep Guardiola, with a summer exit of the Spanish coach a possibility after nine trophy-laden years at the Etihad.

🚨 EXCL: Enzo Maresca high among candidates Manchester City considering in case Pep Guardiola exits next summer. #MCFC advancing contingency work for possibility of manager change - 45yo #CFC coach prominent alongside other potential options @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/nbrXrvHpIt

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) December 18, 2025

Since joining City in 2016 after a spell in Germany with Bayern Munich, Guardiola has revolutionised City and English football. Winning six Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, 4 EFL League Cups and the UEFA Champions League in 2023. As well as 3 Community Shields, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. A legacy that has put the Catalan coach near the top of the list when it comes to the greatest to ever manage in English football.

Guardiola’s contract at City does not run out until 2027; however, with speculation building about the 53-year-old ending his time in Manchester a year early, here are five coaches we think could take over from the historically successful coach.

Enzo Maresca

David Ornstein’s news included the information that one name high on the list of potential Guardiola replacements was Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca. With City placing the Italian as one of the main possible candidates.

From a tactical perspective, it makes perfect sense. The Italian formally worked at City as an assistant to Guardiola, and has adopted a similar philosophy and style of play since taking the top job of manager elsewhere since leaving City.

Maresca left the Etihad to take the job at Leicester City following their relegation from the Premier League in 2023, and the Italian earned the Midlands club an automatic return to England’s top flight, winning the title with 31 wins and 97 points.

🚨 Enzo Maresca: “Man City links? It’s 100% speculation. No time for that”.

“I have a contract here at Chelsea until 2029. My focus is just on this club and I am proud to be here”.

“It's important to understand why this news was there but it is just speculation”. pic.twitter.com/76Vuzr4SAK

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 19, 2025

However, Maresca did not stay around in the Premier League with Leicester, as Chelsea came calling following the conclusion of the campaign. And Maresca has done well in West London, securing Champions League football in his first season whilst winning the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. Maresca would make a good fit for City; however, it’s unsure whether he will be willing to leave Chelsea for a direct rival.

Vincent Kompany

Manchester City’s legendary defender who made 360 appearances across 11 years at City and captained the club for nine years between 2010 and 2019 and was skipper at the Etihad when Guardiola took charge in 2016.

Since retiring in 2019 and after learning from Guardiola, Kompany has followed the Spaniard into management. Firstly, starting in his native Belgium with Anderlecht, before being appointed by Burnley in 2022, where he won the Championship title in his first season at Turf Moor.

😳🇧🇪 Burnley's training sessions under Vincent Kompany were no joke... 🟣🙅🏻pic.twitter.com/3h9pjf2Jnn

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) August 13, 2024

Following relegation with Burnley the following season in the top flight, Kompany earned one of the biggest managerial roles in European football, landing the job at record German champions Bayern Munich.

After Bayern had gone trophyless the previous campaign, Kompany managed to return the Bundesliga title back to Munich in his first season. And with his legendary legacy at the Etihad, there’s no doubt many City fans will be keen for their former captain to follow in Guardiola’s footsteps by leaving Munich for the manager’s seat at Manchester City.

Julian Nagelsmann

One of the most promising young coaches in the game, Julian Nagelsmann’s coaching career began at just 23 as a youth coach at TSG Hoffenheim following an unfortunate early retirement from playing due to injuries.

At just 28, Nagelsmann became manager of Hoffenheim’s first team, and a third place finish in the 2018-19 season put the young German on the map as one of the brightest coaches in Europe.

What happens when you analyse a tactical system from a different perspective?
Wirtz turns into a left back?
Woltemade's 9 gets flipped to become a 6?
Numbers lose their meanings.
It's all possible in the context of Julian Nagelsmann's extreme diagonality 🇩🇪↗️↘️↙️↖️ pic.twitter.com/yVW6bjDlod

— Jamie Hamilton (@stirling_j) November 20, 2025

Nagelsmann continued to impress in the Bundesliga following being appointed by RB Leipzig in 2019, guiding the club to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2020. Almost inevitably, Bayern Munich came calling; however, despite winning the league in his first season, Nagelsmann was dismissed in March 2023 after less than two years in the job.

Despite that, in September 2023 Nagelsmann became coach of the German national team, where they reached the quarter-final stage of EURO 2024.

Known for playing a possession style combined with an aggressive press, Nagelsmann would fit the City style that Guardiola has brought, but it remains to be seen whether he will willingly leave his post as national manager of Germany.

Andoni Iraola

One of the most impressive Premier League coaches over the last two seasons, Spanish coach Andoni Iraola has caught eyes across Europe with the job he has done at AFC Bournemouth.

Iraola joined the south coast club from Rayo Vallecano in June 2023, after keeping the club in LaLiga following promotion the previous season, whilst reaching the semi-finals of the Copa Del Rey.

Andoni Iraola’s coaching sessions are intense and packed with information for his players to help them understand team shape and when to press during games ⚽️⁠🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZuUswZIK6r

— Football DNA (@footballdna_) April 16, 2025

After struggling in his first weeks at Bournemouth, not winning until his tenth league match, Iraola managed to finish the season with the club’s highest Premier League points tally with 48, securing a 12th-place finish. The following season, the Basque coach did even better. Guiding Bournemouth to 9th, their highest finish ever in the top flight, breaking the points record set from the previous campaign, this time with 56 points.

Favouring a 4-3-3 with a sitting midfielder just like Guardiola, Iraola would make a good fit for City but would be seen as a slight risk due to never managing at a Champions League-level club before.

Xabi Alonso

Perhaps the most unrealistic option right now, due to Alonso’s current role as manager of Real Madrid. However, the Spaniard is already under slight pressure in Madrid following a difficult start to the season.

Undoubtedly one of the brightest new coaches around. Alonso was always promised to be a great coach after learning from the likes of Rafael Benitez, Carlo Ancelotti, Jose Mourinho and Guardiola himself during Alonso’s playing days at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool. And that promise was realised in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.

Alonso’s second season at Leverkusen would prove to be not only the best in the club’s history but also one of the most impressive seen in recent European football. Winning a domestic double of the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal would have been impressive enough on its own, but Alonso’s Leverkusen did it unbeaten. Going a total of 51 games unbeaten in all competitions before losing the UEFA Europa League final to Atalanta.

Deutscher Meister 2023/24 @bayer04fussball

It feels great🏆 pic.twitter.com/7r2Vhx2xyy

— Xabi Alonso (@XabiAlonso) April 15, 2024

Naturally, the world’s biggest club took notice, and Alonso took the job at Real Madrid in the summer of 2025. However, things have not gone smoothly for Alonso at the Santiago Bernabeu so far.

A versatile coach that is capable of multiple styles of play in a fluid style, if Florentino Perez does decide to dismiss the 44-year-old, there is no doubt City would be interested if they needed a Guardiola replacement.