Man City ‘have manager lined up to replace Pep Guardiola if Spaniard leaves and will pay him £14m a year’
MANCHESTER CITY have allegedly already earmarked the man they want to replace Pep Guardiola should he leave this summer.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, 52, only signed a new contract at the Etihad last year to tie him to them until 2025.
However, a new report states that some behind the scenes of the Premier League champions “fear” that he could decide that he has had enough and depart at the end of this term.
He took over City in 2016 and his stint there is already the longest he has been in the dug-out at any one club during his managerial career.
Guardiola, after trophy-packed spells in Spain and Germany, has added more silverware to his CV during that period.
He has guided City to four Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups and an FA Cup.
Guardiola has put together a new playing system this season since the arrival of Erling Haaland in attack, and that has allowed Arsenal to go eight points clear of them at the top of the league.
Now El Chiringuito is claiming that allegedly some within the Cityzens feel that he may have had enough by the end of the campaign.
They claim that chiefs have already started looking around for a replacement in case Guardiola decides to take another sabbatical from football like he did during the 2012/13 season.
And the man they have reportedly decided on is fellow Spaniard and ex-Barcelona midfielder Luis Enrique, 52.
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He has been out of work since leaving the Spanish national team following their World Cup exit to Morocco.
Enrique has also revealed today to Ser Gijon: “I would like to try an experience in Premier League. But I’d only accept an interesting project.
“I’d only join a club where I can do big, important things. I’ve received proposals from national teams — I keep all options open.”
City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, is allegedly a huge big admirer of Enrique and believes he would provide the same brand of attractive attacking football.
The report also adds that City have already spoken with Enrique’s representatives regarding a potential three-year package that is worth £14m-a-season.
Enrique may not fancy sticking around in the hope that Guardiola leaves and has been linked with other vacancies, most notably as Antonio Conte’s replacement at Tottenham.