What will Manchester City do if Pep Guardiola leaves? Possible replacements and which players might leave

Since joining Man City in 2016, manager Pep Guardiola has steered the club to almost every kind of trophy imaginable, from the Champions League to five Premier League titles. Fans have certainly become used to winning at least one piece of silverware every season.

But while potential punishments loom over alleged financial breaches, Guardiola’s future also now seems uncertain. The Spaniard has most recently signed a two-year contract extension in 2022, which takes him to the end of this season with a salary thought to be in the region of £19.7m per year.

When asked what his future holds by Italian TV programme Che Tempo Che Fa, Guardiola said: “I haven't decided yet - if I had decided, I would say it. I don't know either, anything can happen.”

On October 12, Man City confirmed that the club’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, will step down from his position at the end of the season, with Hugo Viana from Sporting CP taking his place. Guardiola has said before that Bergiristain was “one of the reasons” for him extending his contract, adding further fuel to the fire.

What might happen if Pep Guardiola leaves?

The departure of Pep Guardiola from Manchester City would be quite the shock for the club and fans alike. Many of the players who joined the club came because of Guardiola himself, and similarly may look for an exit if he leaves.

Most notably among these players would be star striker Erling Haaland, who has currently the apple in the eye of Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta. Keeping players like him would be essential during a transition period.

However, other players who struggle to earn a place in the starting XI at the moment might be more likely to stay if a new manager appeared on the scene, such as Matheus Nunes and Kyle Walker.

Who could replace Guardiola?

If Guardiola was to leave Manchester City, he would also leave huge shoes to fill. The reigning Premier League champions will want to get an equivalent level of manager - but they tend to be few and far between.

Perhaps the most likely candidate would be Xabi Alonso - a relatively young manager, he has worked wonders with Bayer Leverkusen, taking them right to the top of the Bundesliga without breaking the bank with transfers. The former Liverpool player has also seen his route to Anfield sealed off with the appointment of Arne Slot at the end of last season, following Jurgen Klopp’s departure.

Speaking of Klopp, it would likely take a huge amount of money to prise him away from his new job at Red Bull, and taking the job would not go down well with Liverpool fans either. With Thomas Tuchel now also finding employment with the England international team, the only other likely candidates would be Unai Emery (currently Aston Villa boss), Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone or somehow prising Mikel Arteta away from rivals Arsenal.