Report: Premier league manager will be ‘top of the list’ to replace Pep Guardiola if he shines again this season

Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto de Zerbi is at the top of Manchester City’s list of candidates to replace Pep Guardiola, should he depart in 2025.

The Spaniard is currently in his eighth season at the Manchester club, with his current contract set to expire in 2025.

Despite him being set to still be in the City dugout for the next couple of years, some details have emerged regarding one name that could be in the frame to replace Guardiola when he eventually leaves the club.

According to the information of journalist Davide Chinellato, speaking to TV Play in Italy as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto de Zerbi is ‘at the top’ of Manchester City’s list of candidates to replace Pep Guardiola, should he depart in 2025.

Chinellato has also suggested that Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is a strong candidate for the Manchester City hierarchy, presumably given the Spaniard’s history with the club and his ongoing success at the Emirates Stadium.

“(Pep) Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of next season, we are not talking about succession but about ideas and understanding what he wants to do for the future,” Davide Chinellato explained. “The possible managers from Manchester City are (Mikel) Arteta, it would be an obvious choice except that now he is doing very well with Arsenal and has become a sort of rival.”

He continued, “The name of (Roberto) De Zerbi is gaining more and more popularity and is considered the new Guardiola in terms of playing style, approach and innovative football. He achieved results by taking Brighton to the best position in their history and going to Europe.”

“Among the emerging managers of the Premier League he is at the top of the list and if he confirms himself this year his next step could be in a big club, perhaps even on the City bench.”

A recent report from The Athletic said this on the matter.

It said: “Guardiola has close ties with Brighton counterpart Roberto De Zerbi and the highest compliment the Italian could be paid is that the Catalan borrowed some of his ideas on the way to winning last season’s treble.

“What a manager says in public is only a tiny part of their repertoire but these high standards are applied behind the scenes, too; and given Guardiola is such a big fan, it would be hard to imagine De Zerbi not being considered.”

Brighton appointed the 44-year-old back in September last year and have since seen him go on to win 24 of the 49 games he has overlooked in all competitions.

Back in May, Guardiola labelled the Italian as “one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years,” which highlights how much the City boss admires De Zerbi, who has now got his side playing in Europe, and his style of play.

With City and Brighton having the highest pass completion percentages in the Premier League this season (88.6% & 87.5%), as well as the top two totals of goal-creating actions (32 & 33), this highlights how similar the two managers are in terms of how they want their teams to play.

This makes it easy to see why the 44-year-old is likely to be considered to replace Guardiola whenever he decides to call an end to his very successful time in charge of City.