Six managers Man City could turn to as Pep Guardiola decides when he'll move on

 Pep Guardiola has reportedly set his Manchester City departure date as 2025 - and e360hubs has a look at six managers who could fill his very large shoes at the Etihad

Manchester City, ever since Sheikh Mansour took over in 2008, has been preparing for Pep Guardiola.

The Catalan was the final piece of the puzzle when he arrived from Bayern Munich in 2016 - with City assembling his backroom staff for years before his arrival. But what about life after Pep? As the old saying goes: all good things have to come to an end.

Reports have emerged that Guardiola is set to leave City when his contract expires in 2025.

And e360hubs has a look at five managers who could replace Guardiola at the helm of Man City.

Vincent Kompany

The fairytale choice, and what a popular appointment it would be in the blue half of Manchester. The Belgian spent over a decade as City's commander-in-chief at the Etihad Stadium.

Kompany left in 2019, and although his initial managerial stint at Anderlecht didn't end well, he has since carved out a reputation as one of the top young bosses in the game.

The Belgian has guided Burnley back into the top tier of English football, exciting the Championship with an attacking style of play. Kompany has even caught the eye of Tottenham, but he snubbed the role in favour of the Clarets.

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta almost seems a bit too obvious as Guardiola's replacement in Manchester. The pair's careers seem to be interlinked, Arteta made his professional debut as a substitute for Guardiola, and his first coaching role also came under the Catalan.

Arteta was appointed as City's assistant in 2016 - and he spent three years in the role, until he accepted the top job at Arsenal. The Gunners have stuck by Arteta, and it almost paid off this season as his side pushed City to the limit.

However, the City juggernaut eventually proved too much for Arteta... but if you can't beat them, join them.

Julian Nagelsmann

Julian Nagelsmann has been talked up as the best young manager on the planet ever since he guided Hoffenheim back into the Bundesliga before he was even 30-years-old.

Still only 35, Nagelsmann is currently out of a job after he was sacked by Bayern Munich earlier this year. Bayern had cited the possibility of a treble looking unlikely as the reason - the Bavarians only claimed the Bundesliga under Thomas Tuchel (more on him later).

Nagelsmann looks to be the odds-on favourite for the role, and with him used to the pressure of managing at a big club, it would be a relatively low-risk appointment.

Erik ten Hag

The only manager to ever pull off a Luis Figo?

Carlos Tevez turned heads when he crossed the Manchester divide, and Erik ten Hag could follow suit. Ten Hag has enjoyed a successful first season at the helm of Manchester United, leading them to the top four and the Carabao Cup.

However, Ten Hag has been a long-term admirer of Guardiola - and he even worked under the Catalan at Bayern Munich.

Roberto De Zerbi

After Brighton parted ways with Graham Potter back in September, who'd have thought what Roberto De Zerbi would have gone on to achieve - at least those without a vested interest in Italian football.

De Zerbi's style of play is perhaps the closest to Guardiola's on this list, and Brighton have earned plaudits for their high tempo and high press this campaign.

After De Zerbi drew with City, Liam Rosenior told Sky Sports: "There are certain coaches that come along like [Arrigo] Sacchi with Milan or Pep [Guardiola], coming along and changing the game, and what De Zerbi is doing with this Brighton team is something new, it’s something different."

Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea fans are probably rolling their eyes right now - but there's one reason he's on this list: Guardiola likes him.

When Guardiola left Bayern in 2016, he recommended the Bavarian side hire Thomas Tuchel, then of Borussia Dortmund, as his replacement.

At the same time, City were secretly preparing a list of names that could replace Guardiola - with the Catalan initially expected to leave City in 2019. According to The Mirror, City monitored the progress of Mauricio Pochettino, Tuchel, Eddie Howe, and Roger Schmidt.