Xabi Alonso Emerges as Potential Successor to Guardiola at Manchester City

According to the Telegraph, Manchester City is interested in appointing Xabi Alonso as head coach should Pep Guardiola decide to leave the club this summer. There are increasing indications that Guardiola may step down at the end of the season, prompting City to prepare for his succession. Although Guardiola’s current contract runs until 2027, the team is struggling for form and currently sits six points behind league leaders Arsenal, having won only one of their last five matches. Recently, they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur.

Alonso is reportedly one of three candidates being considered, along with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who has communicated with City, leading to his departure from Stamford Bridge, and Cesc Fabregas, who has garnered attention for his work with Como in Serie A, where the team currently ranks sixth and is on track for European qualification.

Guardiola has been discreet regarding his future plans and has not made any public statements. However, upon signing his latest contract, he expressed that he and his staff deserved to remain at Manchester City. He stated, “I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it’s the truth. I think we deserve after four defeats in a row to bounce back and try to turn the situation.”

He continued, expressing his internal conflict about potentially leaving, saying, “Since the beginning of the season, I’ve been thinking a lot. I want to be honest, I thought this season should be the last one. But the problems we had in the last month made me feel it was not the right time to leave. I didn’t want to let the club down. Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together.”

Guardiola has also mentioned his intention to take a sabbatical after his tenure at City, similar to the break he took after leaving Barcelona in 2012 before joining Bayern Munich. In July, he confirmed, “I know that after this stage with City I’m going to stop, that’s for sure. I need to stop and focus on myself.”

Despite their recent struggles, City remains in contention for the Premier League title. They are set to face Newcastle in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final midweek, followed by a crucial match against Liverpool next weekend.