Overview
- Multiple outlets citing the Telegraph report a shortlist of Xabi Alonso, Enzo Maresca and Cesc Fàbregas if Guardiola leaves at season’s end.
- Club sources quoted across the coverage call the reports “pure speculation,” with Guardiola still under contract until 2027.
- Football Insider claims Vincent Kompany is City’s preferred option, though other reporting notes his Bayern Munich deal to 2029 makes a move unlikely.
- Recent results, including a 2-2 draw at Tottenham that left City six points behind Arsenal, have intensified scrutiny, with anonymous insiders suggesting some players look to be “going through the motions.”
- Context on candidates: Alonso is available after his January exit from Real Madrid; Maresca told Chelsea he had spoken with City before being sacked; Fàbregas has earned praise for lifting Como to sixth in Serie A, and director of football Hugo Viana is cited as shaping the process.