Man City considering “incredible” £98,000-a-week boss to replace Guardiola

Manchester City are now considering an “incredible” manager to replace Pep Guardiola, but there may be competition from Real Madrid, according to a report.

City showing signs of improvement

A 4-0 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League back in November consigned Man City to five losses on the bounce, but there have since been signs of improvement, with a top-four finish still very much on the cards.

City avenged their loss against Spurs with a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last night, with Erling Haaland striking early in the first half to secure all three points, moving Guardiola’s side above Chelsea and into fourth place.

Although the reigning Premier League champions are still some way off their best, the uptick in form should give them renewed hope of qualifying for the Champions League, before Guardiola continues to rebuild the squad in the summer.

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The 54-year-old signed a new two-year contract to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2027 earlier this season, but there have now been suggestions the Man City hierarchy are looking at potential replacements.

According to a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness), City are considering Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as a heir to Guardiola, should the former Barcelona boss decide to walk away.

There is doubt about whether the Spanish coach will see out his new contract, and if he chooses to move on, the board could make a move for Alonso, who is highly sought-after, with Real Madrid also keen.

However, the Leverkusen manager is not currently interested in leaving the German club, where he has done a stellar job, winning a domestic double last season, while also guiding his side to the final of the Europa League.

“Incredible” Alonso could be a fantastic Pep heir

The former Liverpool player, who earns around £5.12m a year (£98k-per-week), has done a stellar job in his first senior managerial role, receiving high praise from the media for the way in which he has transformed Leverkusen.

As such, Alonso could be a fantastic long-term heir to Guardiola, but City fans and the board alike will no doubt be hoping the manager sees out his contract, despite the drop-off this season, given everything he has achieved at the Etihad Stadium.

The former Bayern Munich boss led City to a famous treble and four Premier League titles on the bounce, and he has maintained an incredible record in the league at every club he’s managed.

As such, while this season has been far from ideal, there is no manager better suited to orchestrating the summer rebuild than Guardiola.