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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is without a doubt one of the finest tacticians to ever grace the beautiful game. The Spaniard has captured the hearts of many over the last couple of years with his incredible approach to not just winning, but doing so in style.
Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City after leaving Bayern Munich in the summer of 2016. Since switching to the Etihad Stadium, the tactician has managed to make the club a huge force to be reckoned with, not only in England, but all over Europe. So far, he's led them to claim 10 honors, winning a whopping 554 out of his 745 games in charge.
The former Barcelona gaffer looks like a heavenly match for City. But for how long can they continue to count on him? Sooner or later, the tactician will pack his bag and bid farewell to the Etihad Stadium. In fact, it could come earlier than anyone expects.
At that stage, the Premier League giants will need to look elsewhere for managerial options. In line with that, we've come up with a list of five managers who could get a shot at replacing the Spaniard. They are as follows:
#5 Graham Potter
Nothing beats replacing a tactically brilliant manager with another one. Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter is rapidly growing his reputation as one of the most strategic coaches in the Premier League at the moment.
It goes without saying that Potter's side have been among the most tactically fluid teams in the English top flight for two years in a row now. If he continues going in the same direction, replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City won't be a distant dream for him.
#4 Patrick Vieira
The former Arsenal midfielder was appointed to coach Crystal Palace last summer and he's done a fair job at Selhurst Park in his first few months. As it stands, his side occupies 12th position in the Premier League table with 33 points, albeit with an outstanding fixture list that could propel them into the top-10 zone.
What's more interesting is that Patrick Vieira has a superior record against Pep Guardiola in the Premier League this season. His Crystal Palace side earned a 2-0 victory against Manchester City when they first met in October, before holding the Cityzens to a goalless draw earlier this month
#3 Julian Negelsmann
Julian Nagelsmann has established himself among the finest managers in the football world at the moment. The German put himself on the map after doing an impressive job at Hoffeinheim and RB Leipzig, prompting Bayern Munich to snap him up last summer.
Nagelsmann has taken his game a step forward at the Allianz Arena, leading the Bavarians to claim the German Super Cup within his first few weeks in charge. His team currently leads the race for this season's Bundesliga title with 63 points in 27 games.
Like Pep Guardiola, the Bayern Munich boss is a lover of attacking football, with a dominant and result-oriented approach. There's no doubt he'd be a very good option to take over from the Spaniard at Manchester City.
#2 Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique has a lot in common with Pep Guardiola and would surely be a good option to replace the Manchester City manager at the Etihad. Both tacticians 'graduated from Barcelona's football school' and are deep-rooted into the Blaugrana's possession-based system.
They equally had incredible spells during their time with the Catalan giants and have both tasted success with other teams. Luis Enrique is currently doing a great job with the Spanish national team, recording 17 wins, eight draws and six defeats from his 31 games in charge.
Having managed multiple clubs in Spain and Italy, the tactician could be inspired to have a taste of Premier League football up next. Should that be the case, joining Manchester City would be a decent option for the 51-year-old.
#1 Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is arguably the best-placed option to take over from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. It is worth noting that the Gunners boss worked as an assistant manager to the Spaniard between 2016 and 2019 before leaving for the Emirates Stadium.
Knowing a lot about the club will definitely play into the former Premier League midfielder's favor. Coaching-wise, Mikel Arteta is doing a wonderful job at Arsenal right now, helping the Gunners overturn their poor start to the campaign with decent performances in recent weeks.
As it stands, they are back in contention for a top-four finish at the end of the campaign. They currently occupy fourth position in the Premier League table with 54 points in 28 games.
