Manchester City are reportedly eyeing Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola should Guardiola leave the club at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, there is “growing anticipation” this will be Guardiola’s last season at City, although a decision likely won’t be made until near the end of the campaign.
If Guardiola does depart, Maresca is reportedly “expected to figure prominently” in the pool of potential successors.
“It doesn’t affect me at all because I know it’s 100 percent speculation,” Maresca told reporters on Friday.
Maresca is in the midst of his second season at Chelsea after leading them to a fourth-place finish in the EPL standings and winning the UEFA Conference League last season.
So far this season, Chelsea are fourth in the EPL table with 28 points, and they won the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer.
Prior to joining Chelsea, Maresca had spells as the head coach at Parma and Leicester City. He led Leicester to the 2023-24 EFL Championship crown, which earned them promotion back into the Premier League.
Maresca also has experience coaching at Manchester City, as he led their under-23 team from 2020 to 2021, and was an assistant under Guardiola with the senior team from 2022 to 2023.
Per Ornstein, Maresca still “retains admirers in the hierarchy” at Manchester City, which is likely why his name is already emerging as a potential replacement for Guardiola.
The 54-year-old Guardiola has long been considered one of the top head coaches in soccer thanks to his success at major clubs in Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Before joining City in 2016, Guardiola won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles at Barca, and three Bundesliga titles, as well as the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup titles at Bayern.
During his time at Manchester City, Guardiola has made a living off securing trophies.
With the Sky Blues, he is a six-time EPL champion, a four-time winner of the EFL Cup, a three-time FA Community Shield winner and a two-time FA Cup champ. He also won the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup one time each.
From 2018 to 2024, City won six EPL titles in seven seasons under Guardiola. However, the Citizens dropped to third place last season behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
So far this season, City are second with 34 points, placing them just two points behind Arsenal.
It is unclear if City’s finish in the standings will have any impact on Guardiola’s decision, but if the position does become available, it figures to be among the most desirable jobs in the sport.