Pep Guardiola future: Manchester City's 'three-man shortlist' to replace manager revealed as Premier League concerns mount

Xabi Alonso is on a three-man shortlist to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, the latest report has claimed.

Manchester City dropped points yet again in the Premier League, drawing 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday despite taking a 2-0 lead.

The result left the club six points behind first-placed Arsenal, and there are concerns about Guardiola's ability to lead the team to the title this season.

Guardiola is contracted to City until 2027, but there has been increasing speculation that 2025-26 could be his final campaign in charge at the Etihad.

The Telegraph report that Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and Enzo Maresca are expected to be on the club's three-man shortlist as potential managerial successors amid growing belief there will be a change in the dugout.

Xabi Alonso assessed: The standout candidate

Alonso was sacked as Real Madrid boss in January, but it would be unfair to judge him harshly for his time in Spain considering he was reportedly dealing with a difficult dressing room.

The 44-year-old led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2023-24, with the team becoming the first ever club to avoid defeat across an entire top-flight season in Germany.

Having worked under Guardiola at Bayern Munich and Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid as a player, Alonso's experience of operating in different systems could be of significant benefit to Manchester City.

However, they may have to act quickly considering Liverpool could come in for Alonso if they sack Arne Slot, and perhaps Alonso's connection to Anfield as a former player would make the managerial job at Liverpool too tempting to turn down.

Enzo Maresca and Cesc Fabregas assessed

Maresca managed to win both the Club World Cup and the Conference League with Chelsea, but while he demonstrated his ability to get the better of elite managers in one-off contests, the Blues failed to show the consistency needed to challenge at the top of the league.

The Italian did work with Guardiola as an assistant at Manchester City from June 2022 to June 2023, and his time at the Etihad might make the transition to life at the Citizens relatively straightforward.

Fabregas is inexperienced as a manager, with the former Arsenal midfielder having only been in charge as a head coach since July 2024, though he has drawn praise for his time at Como.

The Spaniard's side are currently sixth in Serie A having only conceded 16 goals in 23 league matches so far, and their position is made even more impressive considering they were in the second tier as recently as 2023-24.

If City were to miss out on Alonso, it may be risky to appoint Fabregas due to his limited time as a manager, and it would not be surprising if they opted for Maresca instead.