Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is to depart the Etihad this summer with Enzo Maresca the man most likely to succeed him.
Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, gestures to his player during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge
Enzo Maresca is the favourite to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City boss
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Enzo Maresca is the leading candidate to replace Pep Guardiola as City boss as the Blues look to conclude their search for a new manager
Guardiola's glittering decade in charge at the Etihad will end in the summer with the 55-year-old set to make the decision to step away from the club 12 months before his contract expires.
Maresca is expected to be the man picked to succeed Guardiola as the next City manager. The Italian originally worked in the club's academy before returning as Guardiola's assistant for the 2022/23 season as the team won the Treble.
He then left again to take charge of Leicester and after winning promotion back to the Premier League for the Foxes at the first time of asking the coach went to Chelsea and won the Europa Conference League and then the Club World Cup. City spoke to Maresca earlier this season as the club considered options for if Guardiola were to leave, and he has been out of work since January when he left Chelsea by mutual consent.
Maresca is the clear frontrunner but there is a wider pool of potential candidates. Vincent Kompany has seemed the heir apparent to Guardiola since taking his first steps in management but the Belgian is understood to be happy at Bayern Munich and unlikely to consider a switch to the Etihad at this time.
PSG boss Luis Enrique would be an attractive option but the French side are confident he will sign an extension to stay in the French capital until 2030, where he could win back to back Champions League titles.
England boss Thomas Tuchel, who has signed an extended contract with the Three Lions, is another possibility, while former Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso is an option with the Spaniard out of work since leaving the Bernabeau earlier this season.
City had previously held an interest in Roberto De Zerbi but the Italian signed a five-year deal to take charge of Tottenham last month and is highly unlikely to now be considered by City.