Man City 'preparing for Pep Guardiola exit' and have already identified replacement

Manchester City have reportedly started planning for life without Pep Guardiola by identifying their preferred choice to succeed him in the dugout. The Spaniard remains tied down until the end of next season but has been tipped to seek a new challenge when his current deal runs out.

Guardiola has led City through their most successful period in history but will inevitably leave the Etihad Stadium at some point in the future. Club chiefs have already started to draw up a succession plan, according to Relevo, with Girona boss Michel thought to be among the leading candidates to replace him.

Michel has worked wonders at Girona, who are owned by the City Football Group, by leading the newly-promoted club to third place in La Liga. His exploits have not gone unnoticed by those at City, who are said to be considering the possibility of appointing him when Guardiola steps down.

The report adds that Michel has been learning English in anticipation of a potential move to the Premier League further down the line. Guardiola, meanwhile, is said to have privately commented on his admiration for Michel's impressive work at Girona.

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Although there is still a chance that Guardiola will extend his stay at the club, there is said to be 'less and less trust' that he will remain as manager beyond 2025. However, his strong relationship with president Khaldoon Al Mubarak is thought to have given City hope that he can be convinced to sign another deal.

It remains to be seen if City will be forced to appoint a new manager in 2025, with Guardiola set to have the final say on whether he stays or goes. He recently suggested that when he does leave, he would like to go into international management having been tentatively linked with the England job in recent years.

Speaking to ESPN last month, Guardiola said: "I don't know who wants me. To work for a national team, they need to want you, like the clubs. When I started, I didn't think about winning the leagues, or the Champions League. I thought: 'If I have a job, that's fine'.

"I would like to have the experience of living in a World Cup, a European Championship, a Copa America, whatever. I would like to experience this. I don't know when, in five, ten, 15 years, but I would like to play in a World Cup as a coach."