Next Manchester City Manager Odds: Michel Favourite To Replace Guardiola
Pep Guardiola said he could see a "bright future" for his side after Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at the Etihad.
Mohamed Salah scored the first and set up Dominik Szoboszlai for the second, as the Reds went 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
City now sit fourth, 20 points behind Liverpool and betting sites are continually updating their odds on who will replace Guardiola in City's dugout.
But despite being swept aside by the Premier League leaders, Guardiola saw enough in his side to be confident for the future.
The average age of Manchester City's starting XI against Liverpool was 25 years and 68 days - their joint-youngest in a Premier League match under Guardiola.
"I saw a bright future," he said after the match. "These players are so young.
"Other than Kevin [de Bruyne] and Nathan [Ake], they are the future of this club in the next years, with others who will come in future windows."
City will be desperate to finish in the Champions League places with their only realistic chance of silverware this season being the FA Cup.
Pep will no doubt be backed for a big summer rebuild, while the young players he has at his disposal will certainly provide hope for the coming years.
But if he isn't given the time to turn things around, some familiar names feature in the market.
Michel Might Be The Man To Replace Pep
Michel has done a wonderful job at Girona, taking them up into La Liga from the second tier of Spanish football and then securing a sensational top-four finish.
As a result of that achievement, Girona qualified for the Champions League football for the first time in their history.
The club from Catalonia are part of the City Football Group network, so it is relatively easy for deals to be done between the two teams (Savinho moved to the Etihad Stadium from Girona last summer).
Girona are in 12th place, 23 points behind leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid, and are no longer playing in Europe having finished 33rd in the Champions League table.
It is therefore not a surprise to see that Michel is considered the favourite to succeed Guardiola, with football betting sites offering odds of 5/2.
Next Permanent Manchester City Manager - Odds
Manager | Odds | Bookmaker |
Herrero Michel | 5/2 | |
Xabi Alonso | 7/2 | |
Andoni Iraola | 4/1 | |
Zinedine Zidane | 16/1 | |
Vincent Kompany | 16/1 | |
Roberto De Zerbi | 16/1 | |
Julian Nagelsmann | 16/1 | |
Mikel Arteta | 20/1 | |
Ruben Amorim | 20/1 | |
Xavi Hernandez | 25/1 |
Alonso Second Favourite For Etihad Job
Xabi Alonso was widely expected to take charge of either Bayern Munich, Liverpool or Real Madrid before the start of the season.
In the end, though, the Spaniard opted to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for at least one more year, but the German club’s fans are expecting Alonso to move on at some point soon.
Leverkusen are second in the Bundesliga, eight points behind Bayern Munich.
The former midfielder is a talented manager and he would be a good fit for Manchester City.
However, he may well leave Leverkusen at the end of this season, so much depends on whether Guardiola departs earlier than expected. As such, Alonso is a 7/2 shot to replace Guardiola.
Iraola Has Earned Respect
Andoni Iraola's achievements at Bournemouth have been one of the biggest success stories of the season.
Wins over Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest have seen the Cherries move up to sixth in the Premier League and very much eyeing European qualification.
Whether City would be prepared to gamble on a coach who is yet to manage one of Europe's biggest sides is debatable, but his incredible exploits on the south coast make him a 4/1 chance for the job.
Zidane In No Rush To Return To Management
Zinedine Zidane is a 16/1 shot to replace Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
Out of work since leaving Real Madrid for a second time in 2021, the former attacking midfielder appears to be holding out for the France job.
However, his iconic status within the game would arguably make him a smart selection to succeed the era-defining Guardiola.
Kompany Would Be A Popular Choice With City Fans
Vincent Kompany oversaw Burnley’s relegation to the Championship last term, but that did not prevent him from being handed the reins at Bayern Munich.
The Belgian is doing a fine job in Bavaria, with Bayern top of the Bundesliga after 23 games. They've also advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League following a play-off victory over Celtic.
Kompany is a Manchester City legend and he would be a popular pick with the club’s supporters if he were asked to replace Guardiola.
The former defender is available in this market at 16/1 with betting apps.
Guardiola Big Fan Of De Zerbi
Guardiola has spoken openly of his admiration for Roberto De Zerbi, who led Brighton to a sixth-place finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Now at Marseille, De Zerbi no doubt has ambitions to manage a club like Manchester City one day.
The passionate Italian is priced at 16/1 to be next through the door at City after Guardiola.
Available at the same odds is Julian Nagelsmann, who presently leads the Germany national team, while others in contention include current Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who are both 20/1.
