Pep Guardiola could well leave Manchester City at the end of this season. Respected journalist, David Ornstein, has reported that there is ‘strong chance‘ that Guardiola could leave City at the end of this season. If that were to occur, Guardiola will want to sign off in style. The Catalan arrived in the Premier League with big expectations, and he has exceeded all of them. Six league titles, the treble, countless memories, and most importantly, an identity shift.
City aren’t just the noisy neighbours anymore. They are one of the most respected clubs in world football, a transformation built on Guardiola’s vision and executed with ruthless precision. Of course, there are still trophies to win this season, and it would be foolish to rule out at least one more piece of silverware hoisted aloft before his departure.
Speaking to Gambling.com, home of the best online casinos and sportsbook comparisons, one City fan said, “It’s impossible to think we won’t be in the title race at all, and before we can even think about Pep leaving there’s work to be done.
“You look at what we can still achieve this season and what he’s done for us. We’ve been to Wembley so much it’s actually getting boring! But one more trophy certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
As the weeks roll on and the 25/26 season ticks towards its conclusion, this could be the end for Guardiola at the Etihad, althoughin my opinion that seems unlikely. But Manchester City will be prepared for that possibility given how well run they are as a club.
An ode to Pep.
Pep Guardiola changed football culture in England. Supporters love him, not just City fans but neutrals who appreciate what he represents. Those swashbuckling Barcelona and Bayern teams were one thing, but bringing that philosophy to such a competitive division is another achievement entirely. At no point did he compromise his style. Even when Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna were inverting as full-backs in the early days, the blueprint was there. The principles remained consistent: control possession, dominate territory, suffocate opponents. It looked radical in 2016. Now it feels inevitable.
His influence has filtered down to grassroots level. Kids on parks split their centre-backs, non-league players drop into pockets of space, Sunday league managers talk about building from the back. Guardiola democratised tactical sophistication, making it accessible to anyone willing to learn. That legacy extends far beyond the trophies he has won.
Guardiola will be missed tremendously when the day he does leave City comes. Not just for the titles or the records, but for the belief that football can be beautiful and successful at the same time. Guardiola proved that aesthetics and pragmatism are not mutually exclusive, and English football is better for his presence.
Business to attend to.
Manchester City can still win the title this year. They smell blood after the Arsenal’s recent dropped points and stutter. The bookmakers have them at 11/4 despite four consecutive games without a win earlier in the season, a price that reflects both their quality and the uncertainty surrounding their form.
City play their best football after January. Think of the title races with Liverpool, particularly 2018-19 when they refused to blink over the final months. Guardiola’s teams always produce magic when the stakes are highest, grinding out results when needed and destroying opponents in a way Arsenal can’t.
They are still in Europe too. Could they reach Budapest? The Champions League offers Guardiola a chance to sign off with another European trophy, bookending his City career with the competition that has defined him throughout his managerial life. A second Champions League title in sky blue would cement his legacy as the greatest coach of his generation.
Who comes next?
Finding Guardiola’s successor represents the most seismic managerial appointment in English football. City have not had to recruit a manager in 11 years, and the pressure to get this decision right will be immense. The club cannot afford a transitional period that allows Arsenal or Liverpool to establish dominance.
Signing the likes of Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo in January gives them immediacy but also sets up the next man in the dugout. The squad remains talented and hungry, capable of competing for major honours under the right leadership. Whoever takes over will inherit a machine built for success.
Luis Enrique, Xabi Alonso and Enzo Maresca have all been linked with the role. Each brings different qualities. Enrique’s Champions League pedigree, Alonso’s tactical innovation, and Maresca’s connection to Guardiola’s methods through his time at City. The board will weigh keeping things the same against evolution, choosing between a manager who can replicate Guardiola’s style and one who can redefine it.
The Pep school of management stretches further still. Mikel Arteta, Xavi and Vincent Kompany all honed their craft under Guardiola, even now Pep Ljinders is learning on the job, absorbing his principles while developing their own ideas. Former players like Fernandinho, Thiago Alcântara and İlkay Gundogan have the potential to become elite coaches, carrying Guardiola’s influence into the next generation. Not that Fernandinho, Thiago or Gundogan are contenders to replace Pep. But they are names to watch as potential managers in the future who benefited from playing under Pep Guardiola for a prolonged period of time.
Football as a whole will be different after Guardiola leaves Manchester City. His impact extends beyond one club or one league. Expect a whole genre of managers defined by his influence. The game has changed because of him, and that change is irreversible.
Conclusion
Manchester City have a great chance to win the title this year. If they do, it would represent a fitting farewell for Guardiola. But once the trophies are secured and the celebrations fade, the next question the board should be asking is where he wants his statue.
Guardiola belongs in the conversation with Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the all-time greats. He transformed City from ambitious upstarts into European royalty. Guardiola also redefined English football’s tactical landscape, and proved that principles matter as much as pragmatism. His legacy will outlive his tenure, carried forward by the coaches he inspired and the culture he created.
Life after Pep will test City in ways they have not been tested in over a decade. The infrastructure is strong, the squad is talented, and the ambition remains clear. But replacing Guardiola is not just about finding a new manager. It is about honouring what he built while accepting that nothing lasts forever. City will move on, football will move on, but what Guardiola achieved at the Etihad will endure.
Contrary to David Ornstein’s report, I don’t believe that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of this season. There is a real fire in his eyes, and the challenge of leading his rebuilt City side back to the top of the Premier League seems to have reinvigorated Guardiola. But the day that Guardiola will no longer be City manager will come, and Manchester City will be prepared for that possibility.