The ‘Pep Guardiola replacement’ for Manchester City will be met with disappointment in Liverpool.

Manchester City are expected to seek a new head coach next summer, as Pep Guardiola’s contract is scheduled to expire in 2025. Rumors indicate that they have already identified a potential replacement.

In anticipation of Pep Guardiola’s departure following the 2024/25 season, Manchester City is purportedly seeking to persuade Xabi Alonso to depart Bayer Leverkusen in order to serve as their new head coach.

Guardiola has indicated on numerous occasions that he intends to depart City after his current contract expires, as he enters the final year of his contract. In the event that he does indeed depart next summer, City is purportedly considering the possibility of acquiring former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, who appeared to have declined the Reds’ offer this offseason.

Jurgen Klopp’s decision to depart the Reds two years early stunned the soccer world, and Alonso was the overwhelming favorite to succeed him.

Nevertheless, following weeks of rumors that Alonso would choose between Liverpool and Bayern Munich, he opted to remain with Bayer Leverkusen. His objective was to acquire additional experience as a head coach following an exceptional campaign in Germany, during which they went undefeated and won the Bundesliga.

Alonso, who was a fan favorite while playing for the Reds and won the Champions League, has also been linked to the Real Madrid position in the future, should Carlo Ancelotti depart. Nevertheless, a transfer to Liverpool’s bitter rivals over the past seven years would immediately tarnish his legacy among supporters, despite the Spaniard likely having a difficult decision to decline the role if he is indeed offered it.

Football Transfers had initially reported that Alonso would be considered as a replacement for Guardiola, with the City hierarchy reportedly “convinced” by his management and manner of play.

Guardiola has previously deployed a 3-4-2-1 system that is akin to the one that Alonso prefers, which many believed could have been a problem if he had taken over at Liverpool. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz would have been forced to play out of position as a result of the Reds’ personnel, who were playing without wingers and utilizing full-backs in their place.