Manchester City owe a lot to Pep Guardiola. Before his arrival in 2016, the club had boasted the finances and facilities worthy of domestic footballing dominance, but they hadn’t been able to find the right manager to lead in the charge. In Guardiola, they had lured one of the world’s most decorated coaches — a man with a unique footballing philosophy and a track record of fostering success at elite clubs. 

Over five years later, after half a decade which has yielded unparalleled success in England, Guardiola has stated that he is likely to leave the Etihad Stadium in search of a new challenge when his contract expires in 2023. The news will come as a blow to Manchester City supporters, who would have hoped that Guardiola would remain installed at the club for many years to come. 

If Guardiola’s claims are genuine, then City have less than two seasons remaining in which to enjoy the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager’s brand of rip-roaring attacking football. No-one associated with the club will want to think about this just yet, but let’s have a look at who the football betting sites are tipping to take on the mantle should Guardiola depart in a couple of years’ time.

Mauricio Pochettino