Pep Guardiola's historic Manchester City now looks as though it is coming to an end, with reports suggesting the Spaniard will walk away from his role at the Etihad Stadium after a decade of success.
Guardiola has won 20 titles at City, including a Champions League during that historic treble-winning season. It is not a reign that will be forgotten any time soon, but after a relentless decade, Guardiola will likely take some well-earned time out of the game before considering what is next.
But City will have to act much quicker, now knowing they likely need to find a new manager ahead of next season. So, who are the likely options? Here we take a look and rank them based on the following.
Ranking criteria for Pep Guardiola’s potential replacements
We're going to rank the best three candidates based on a number of factors, including trophy success, style of play, player development and experience in handling pressure. We will also include some subjective metrics based on what feels like the right fit for City.
No.3: Enzo Maresca
One of the early favourites is former Chelsea and City youth coach Enzo Maresca. Maresca did okay at Chelsea, securing Champions League qualification, but he ultimately fell out with the club over their youth-based recruitment approach.
The Italian has spent plenty of time at City, and he could offer an easy transition from Pep Guardiola, given he knows how to play similarly, but he does lack top-end experience.
Maresca is yet to prove himself as a winner, and he hasn't proved he can handle pressure when it comes to delivering trophies. On the plus side, Maresca does have a great ability to develop players, as shown in his coaching days at City and his time at Chelsea, where he largely worked with a younger group.
No.2: Vincent Kompany
Kompany is riding high in the early odds for obvious reasons, given he is a City legend. The Belgian is currently employed, though, and by a huge club in Bayern Munich, so it would likely be an expensive appointment.
Kompany employs a nice, open style of play, and he has managed to implement it at a big club in Bayern and a smaller club in Burnley previously. He seems to be a good leader, keeping everyone on board in Munich, and he has delivered by winning the Bundesliga title.
In terms of his failures, he struggled with Burnley in the Premier League, suffering relegation, and his Bayern side was unable to topple PSG in the Champions League, though there isn't too much shame in that.
Kompany knows what City are about, having represented the club better than most in history, and it would certainly be an interesting appointment.
No.1 - Andoni Iraola
Iraola may fall short on trophies due to the nature of the clubs he has worked with, but the Spaniard has all the tools to succeed as the next City boss. He has worked wonders with Rayo Vallecano and AFC Bournemouth.
Iraola has established an attractive and attacking style of play at Bournemouth, and even during a rocky start, he managed to keep everyone on board - even those above him.
He is a manager players love to work with, and he clearly develops players to a top level, given the talent Bournemouth now boast. Iraola is free to grab, given his contract is up this summer, and all metrics aside, he feels as though he would be a very good fit for City. He has worked his way up, and he deserves a shot at the very top.
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