Manchester City chiefs have reportedly discussed two names as possible replacements for Pep Guardiola.
The six-time Premier League winner is in the final few months of his contract with the Blues, and he has not yet decided on whether to sign a 12-month extension. Guardiola will have been at the helm for nine years by the end of this season and he has already asserted himself as one of the best managers in English football history.
Whoever steps in to replace Guardiola, if he decides to jump ship, will have huge shoes to fill. The 53-year-old is hunting down a fifth consecutive Premier League crown this campaign and he led City to a stunning treble in 2022/23.
According to The Athletic, Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim are two names under consideration. City have just appointed Hugo Viana to take over from Txiki Begiristain as sporting director from the start of next season, and the Portuguese shared a dressing room with Amorim both at international level and with Braga.
Viana has been the director of football at Sporting, where Amorim is currently in charge, since 2018. And City are reportedly ‘open’ to the idea of reuniting them if Guardiola departs.
Amorim, 39, has spent four years in charge of Sporting and is viewed as one of the most exciting young managers in world football. He was previously the subject of strong links to Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool.
Alonso is another up-and-comer attracting the interest of City bosses. The 42-year-old won the league and cup double in his debut season with Bayer Leverkusen, going the entire Bundesliga campaign undefeated.
But his experience is limited, having only been in charge of Real Sociedad’s reserve team prior to 2022. Naturally, City’s priority is to secure the future of Guardiola before they set about trying to charm two of Europe’s most promising managers.
The Blues are currently fighting a legal battle against the Premier League relating to 115 alleged breaches of financial rules. Guardiola would reportedly be more likely to extend his stay at the Etihad ‘out of defiance’ if the club are found guilty.
Speaking during the international break, Guardiola confirmed that his future is still up in the air. “Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” he told Che tempo Che Fa. “And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk