The 2024/25 Premier League season is just over a month old, but already questions are being asked as to whether Pep Guardiola will decide to extend his stay at Manchester City.
Guardiola is now in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, and with the trial underway for the 115 charges from the Premier League, there are some who believe the 53-year-old will leave the club if they are found guilty.
But while it is unknown as to when this decision will be made, there are yet to be any clear candidates to replace Guardiola if he does decide to call time in East Manchester.
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Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has had his say on who should replace Guardiola, and it will be one that will raise a few eyebrows amongst football fans.
"Pep Guardiola has begun to show signs of tiredness in the last two years and you can sometimes see that he is lacking energy," Petit told Prime Casino.
"Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool was a huge blow for Guardiola because he had that competition to push him to be at his very best.
"He’s not a worse manager now but I think he does look tired and mentally it takes a lot of energy to be a manager at the highest level.
"If Guardiola does decide to leave, the best possible replacement would be Mikel Arteta. He knows the club and he knows the philosophy which he has tried to repeat at Arsenal.
"Things move so fast and anything can happen in football, Arteta could step into Guardiola’s shoes but City wouldn’t be the only club interested in him."
While Mikel Arteta is currently battling with City for the Premier League title as Arsenal manager, the Spaniard would be used to the surroundings at City after spending three years as an assistant to Guardiola before moving to the Emirates in December 2019.
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