Xabi Alonso emerges as contender to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City

Xabi Alonso emerges as contender to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City Xabi Alonso is believed to be a contender to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City this summer Guardiola is yet to confirm his plans for next season despite being under contract until 2027 City have been conducting succession planning behind the scenes for several months Manchester City could turn to former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso to succeed Pep Guardiola, according to reports. Guardiola is contracted at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2027 but has repeatedly deflected questions about his future in recent months, with a growing body of reporting suggesting he is increasingly likely to depart a year ahead of schedule. A decision on his plans for the 2026-27 campaign is expected to be made at the end of the current season.

City officials have been conducting succession planning behind the scenes for some time , with director of football Hugo Viana and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak understood to have assembled a shortlist of potential replacements. Pep Guardiola delays Manchester City future decision until end of May Enzo Maresca has been widely reported as the leading candidate following his recent availability after leaving Chelsea , though Alonso’s name has featured prominently throughout the succession conversation. Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid in January 2026 following a difficult spell in the Spanish capital, having previously been identified on Manchester City’s shortlist as club bosses draft a list of possible candidates to take over from Guardiola.

The Spaniard is currently without a club and is one of the most coveted managerial talents in world football following his historic unbeaten, title-winning 2023-24 Bundesliga season with Bayer Leverkusen that earned him the ticket to manage his old club, Real Madrid. Report: Alonso a contender to replace Guardiola According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook , Alonso is believed to be a contender to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City if he steps down from his head coach position at the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. The update adds further weight to previous reporting that City’s shortlist of potential successors extends beyond Maresca, with Alonso’s credentials as one of the game’s most innovative young coaches making him an attractive option for a club looking to maintain their standards at the summit of English and European football.

Guardiola himself has spoken warmly about Alonso on several occasions , having worked with the Spaniard during his time managing at Bayern Munich . The pair share a deep mutual respect and a broadly similar footballing philosophy, which would make any transition from one to the other a more natural process than many would suggest. Manchester City identify potential Pep Guardiola replacement weeks after high-profile sacking City have previously been reported to have compiled a five-candidate shortlist of replacements for Guardiola – comprising Maresca, Alonso, Cesc Fabregas , Roberto De Zerbi and Andoni Iraola – with Alonso’s recent availability having only increased his stock as a candidate for one of the most coveted managerial positions in the game.