Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to make a decision regarding his long-term future at Manchester City following the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal this weekend. The match comes after City's Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
Guardiola, whose contract runs until 2027, is expected to take time after the final to consider his options. Speculation has already linked several managers with the role, including former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who is currently the bookmakers' favourite.
Maresca, 46, previously worked at City as Elite Development squad head coach and first-team assistant. He won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup during his 18-month stint at Chelsea.
Luis Enrique, 55, is another candidate. He followed Guardiola as Barcelona B manager in 2008 and later led Barcelona to two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2015. He guided Paris Saint-Germain to Champions League glory last season.
Xabi Alonso, 44, is available after leaving Real Madrid in January. He led Bayer Leverkusen to an unbeaten Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal in 2024. Vincent Kompany, a City legend, is now thriving at Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga last term. He played under Guardiola for three seasons.
An unconventional option is Pepijn Lijnders, 42, who joined Guardiola's backroom staff in June 2025 after working under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. He has previously managed NEC Nijmegen and Red Bull Salzburg.
