Former Manchester City, Arsenal and France defender Bacary Sagna has made clear who he thinks has all the qualities needed to succeed the great Pep Guardiola as next Manchester City manager
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola wants to keep winning trophies for Manchester City (Image: PA)
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Vincent Kompany has been backed to replace Pep Guardiola as the next Manchester City boss. Guardiola will have clocked up a decade in charge of City before the start of next season. The Spaniard has also just reached his 1,000th game as a manager.
Guardiola's current deal runs until 2027, and he is not expected to extend it. Guardiola has spoken of taking a break from football when he decides to leave the Etihad, just like he did when he called time on his tenure at Barcelona.
It remains to be seen how long Guardiola will continue in the Premier League. But former City star Bacary Sagna reckons the ideal replacement for Guardiola would be current Bayern Munich boss Kompany.
Kompany helped City win 12 trophies during his time captaining the club, and led Bayern to the Bundesliga title last season.
Sagna told Oddspedia: "I could see Vincent Kompany returning to Manchester City as manager after Pep Guardiola leaves. He knows the club very well and was there for years as a player and captain. I know he loves Manchester as a city too - I think he's still personally attached to them even after all these years.
"He's doing a brilliant job at Bayern Munich this season, and has proven himself as a top-level coach. But I think it’s the personal attachment with Manchester City which would make him the best fit possible to become the club’s next manager. He won’t move from Bayern anytime soon, so it will depend on timings if he were to return to City, but I think he would be a really good fit for them.”
Bayern Munich's Belgian head coach Vincent Kompany is pictured prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between 1 FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich in Berlin on November 8, 2025. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Vincent Kompany has been tipped to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City (Image: ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
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Guardiola hinted earlier this season that he might not consider a break until 2035. He said: "In 2035, I will start to think about it.
"At the moment, I think I have the energy with my players to simply make a better season than last season," the Man City boss explained. This is my target. I am never sitting here at the start of November and December and going to say we are going to win this or that.
"I see things that we are doing much better than last season and in every game, we are a little bit better. There is the margin that we can do better in many aspects and that gives me the energy that it's not job done. It's completely unfinished business. That's why I am here."
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