Manchester City are planning for a future without Pep Guardiola. The belief that this will be his final season at the club is growing stronger, and City have already begun putting together a succession plan. Three names are on the shortlist: Xabi Alonso, Enzo Maresca, and Cesc Fabregas. The question of who fills Guardiola's shoes is one of the most consequential decisions any club has had to make in modern football.
What Guardiola has built at Manchester City is not easily summarised. Since arriving in 2016, he has won the league title more times than most managers win a single trophy, led the club to a historic treble in 2023, and fundamentally changed how English football thinks about pressing, positional play, and full-backs. His departure, when it comes, will leave a gap that is genuinely difficult to fill — not just in terms of results, but in terms of identity.
City appear to know this. Rather than scrambling at the end, they are preparing now. Reports suggest the club have drawn up a three-man list of candidates, with scouting and relationship-building already underway. The three names on that list could not be more different in profile.
Xabi Alonso — The Prestige Choice
Alonso is the glamour candidate. His work at Bayer Leverkusen — guiding them to a Bundesliga title and an unbeaten domestic season — made him the most coveted manager in Europe. A subsequent stint at Real Madrid has been less straightforward, but his reputation as a tactically intelligent, player-focused coach remains intact. He played under Guardiola at Bayern Munich, which gives him an understanding of the philosophy that City will want to continue. If City can land him, they get the name that generates excitement and the substance to back it up.
Enzo Maresca — The Inside Track
Maresca spent years inside City's system before his career as a head coach took off. He worked as one of Guardiola's assistants and ran the club's Elite Development Squad. He understands how City think about football more intimately than almost any outside candidate could. His spell at Chelsea ended awkwardly — he admitted to having conversations with City during his time at Stamford Bridge, which contributed to his departure — but those conversations suggest the interest is genuine on both sides. If City want continuity in approach, Maresca offers the smoothest transition.
Cesc Fabregas — The Wildcard
Fabregas is the most surprising name on the list, but perhaps the most interesting story. Still only 38, he has done something genuinely impressive at Como — turning a newly promoted Serie A side into a competitive outfit playing ambitious football. The project is still young, but the early signs have been good enough to attract attention from much bigger clubs. There has been speculation about Fabregas at Chelsea and Barcelona too, which tells you how seriously his work in Italy is being taken. Whether he is ready for a club of City's scale is the obvious question.
The Impossible Task
Nobody who takes this job will escape the Guardiola comparisons. That is the reality of following a manager who has defined an era. The smart move for City is to find someone who can maintain the club's standards without trying to be a Guardiola replica — someone with a clear identity of their own who happens to share the core footballing values that have made City so successful.
Of the three names on the list, each offers something different. Alonso brings external prestige. Maresca brings internal knowledge. Fabregas brings fresh energy and unpredictability. The decision City make will shape what the club looks like for the next decade. For now, though, the focus remains on the man still in the dugout — and whether Guardiola can deliver one final title before he hands over the keys.
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