Man City news: Italy plot ambitious Pep Guardiola swoop

Missing out on a third successive World Cup has sparked a full-scale clear-out in Italy. Alongside the departure of Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina, Gennaro Gattuso has also stepped down as national team boss. Pep Guardiola has now emerged as a target to spearhead the project for the next cycle.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Azzurri are determined to at least test the waters with the Manchester City boss. The election of a new FIGC president is only scheduled for June 22, yet expectations are that the Spaniard should receive a call with the offer before that date.

The candidates for the election to succeed Gravina will be revealed on May 13. Guardiola, for his part, could be in the Citizens dugout for the FA Cup final three days later, while the final round of the Premier League, where they are in a title race with Arsenal, is pencilled in for May 24.

Despite the Spanish boss being under contract until June 2027, his stay at the Etihad Stadium next season is not guaranteed. The Italian national team are on the hunt for a central figure to help drive a wholesale overhaul of the country's football, and believe Guardiola is the man who best fits that profile.

Guardiola's soft spot for Italy

Although the 55-year-old is the man behind the greatest era of success in Manchester City's history, he has already shown signs of fatigue since 2024-25. With taking a sabbatical not a priority, the Spaniard is weighing up the idea of taking charge of a national team, which would strike a balance between the daily grind of club life and the pressure-cooker atmosphere of tournament windows.

His priority target was England, but Thomas Tuchel has extended his deal until 2028. Brazil, who also previously showed an interest, are on the verge of handing Carlo Ancelotti a new deal through to 2030. With that in mind, Italy emerges as an ideal destination, given Guardiola's strong ties to the country.

It is worth noting that, in his playing days, Guardiola turned out for Roma and Brescia. Fluent in Italian, the Spanish boss opened the door to working in Serie A during an interview in 2018. Speaking to ESPN, he also revealed his dream of managing a national team at a World Cup.

'I would like to have the experience of living through a World Cup, or a Euro or a Copa America, or whatever it is,' Guardiola said.

'I don't know when that would be, if that is five, 10, 15 years from now but I would like to be at a World Cup as a coach. To work for a national team, they have to want you, just like a club. I don't know who would want me,' the boss concluded in 2021.

Salary is the stumbling block

According to Marca, the main hurdle for the FIGC in their bid to convince the Spaniard is a financial one. Guardiola earns a gross annual salary of €24.8m (£21.1m). Roberto Mancini was on €3m (£2.55m) net per year after winning Euro 2020 in 2021.

However, the FIGC could get around the issue if a sponsor were to shoulder a significant portion of the cost of the Spanish boss. That was how the Italian national team funded Antonio Conte in 2014, for example, following his trophy-laden spell at Juventus.

The Italians are also hoping that money will not be a sticking point for Guardiola. The task of prising the boss from Manchester City is difficult, but the Azzurri believe it is not impossible. While the federation goes through a transitional phase, the Spaniard can count on the backing of former defender Leonardo Bonucci.

'If we want a radical change in the national team, I'd say the right man for the job is Pep Guardiola. It's very difficult, but dreaming costs nothing,' the FIGC technical coach said this week