Manchester City show ‘concrete interest’ in Pep Guardiola replacement but could lose race to Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid could ruin Manchester City’s ideal Pep Guardiola succession plan through their own managerial plans, a new report has detailed.

Etihad Stadium officials are continuing to await a final decision from manager Pep Guardiola on his future at the club, with the 53-year-old firmly into the final year of his Manchester City contract last extended in November 2022.

Manchester City have consistently insisted that they would not be willing to apply any pressure on Guardiola to make a decision any time soon, as a mark of respect for the legendary work he has put into taking the club to never-before-reached heights in the game.

However, as Pep Guardiola continues to decide what is both best for himself and his family in a ninth season at the club, City themselves are continuing to assess the managerial landscape across Europe for potential options should the Catalan decide now is time to leave.

That assessment has naturally led them in the direction of Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, who has impressed many onlookers from across Europe with his outstanding achievements in Germany and taking his club to a Bundesliga title last season in particular.

But according to the information of Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, and while Manchester City have shown ‘concrete interest’ in Alonso as their next manager in the event of a Pep Guardiola exit next summer, Leverkusen themselves have other beliefs concerning their coach.

It is explained that the Bundesliga champions believe the Spaniard will instead move to Real Madrid, with the La Liga giants currently being the ‘favourites’ to make Alonso their successor to Carlo Ancelotti.

Unsurprisingly, it is pointed out that should Xabi Alonso make a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, it would also increase their chances of signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz – who is also of interest to Manchester City.

Should that move take place, and Manchester City lose out on a profile that appears to be their number one option to take Guardiola’s position in future, then the Premier League champions would have to turn elsewhere.

Among the other names to have been linked with the Etihad Stadium hot-seat in recent weeks is Sporting’s Ruben Amorim, who has now taken the top job at Manchester Untied to succeed Erik ten Hag.

However, sources around the club have since reported that interest from the Etihad Stadium in the 39-year-old was ‘pure speculation’, while there were also concerns that his system is not in keeping with Manchester City’s current style of play.

In fact, it has been further explained that the preferable next Manchester City head coach would align to Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain’s style, despite a belief in Portugal that Ruben Amorim and Hugo Viana would link back up in England.

Hugo Viana is Manchester City’s incoming Director of Football, taking the place of Txiki Begiristain who will be bringing an end to his 12-year stay at the Etihad Stadium upon turning 60-years-old during the recent summer.