Xabi Alonso emerges as potential Pep Guardiola successor at Manchester City – Hugo Viana mapping future plans

Manchester City have identified Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola as contingency planning continues behind the scenes, according to a new report.

City’s immediate focus remains firmly on the pitch but long-term planning has never paused under their current hierarchy. With the club again competing at the sharp end of the Premier League and Europe, attention away from the pitch has increasingly pivoted towards succession planning rather than short-term fixes.

Guardiola’s influence has shaped City more profoundly than any manager in the club’s modern history. His tactical imprint, recruitment alignment and cultural authority have underpinned sustained success, but City have long accepted that continuity requires preparation.

Even with Guardiola contracted until 2027, the club have spent years quietly mapping out scenarios for a future without him. This season, City’s campaign has carried familiar hallmarks: dominance in possession, adaptability in structure and relentless competitiveness.

Yet it has also been disrupted by injuries and an unusually tight title race, with Arsenal setting the pace domestically. The pressure has sharpened scrutiny not just of results but of how City might evolve when Guardiola eventually steps aside.

City’s leadership have previously demonstrated a preference for managers steeped in positional football, tactical intelligence and elite dressing-room management. That philosophy has narrowed the field significantly whenever succession is discussed.

Against that backdrop, one name has resurfaced with growing relevance. According to Duncan Castles, speaking on the Transfers Podcast in conjunction with Football Transfers, Alonso has been included on Manchester City’s shortlist of potential replacements for Guardiola.

“Xabi Alonso has been included on Manchester City’s list of potential replacements for Pep Guardiola,” Castles said, underlining that City’s planning extends well beyond the immediate horizon.

Guardiola’s long-term intentions have long been a subject of speculation. As Castles noted, City expect a point at which Guardiola may “want to move on to other areas”, potentially taking a break before returning in a National Team role. That expectation has driven City to maintain a rolling list of elite candidates capable of preserving continuity.

Alonso’s presence on that list is notable, particularly given his current circumstances. The former Real Madrid midfielder returned to the Spanish capital last summer after a transformative spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he delivered an unbeaten 2023-24 domestic season, dethroned Bayern Munich and added the German Cup to his CV.

That success elevated him into the upper tier of Europe’s coaching market. Yet his return to Spain has been far from seamless. Castles suggested Alonso has “struggled to consistently win at the Spanish club”, with questions emerging over his authority within the dressing room and confidence from the board.

“There has been discussion about whether Madrid might part company with him,” Castles added, pointing to internal briefings that have quietly shifted responsibility back towards Alonso rather than recruitment.

Real Madrid, Castles explained, have defended their squad-building by highlighting the youth and value of their group while hinting that Alonso “could have made better use of the resources available to him”.

That dynamic has opened the door, at least theoretically, to a parting of ways should results fail to stabilise. For Manchester City, Alonso’s appeal is rooted in familiarity as much as innovation. His footballing education under Guardiola, combined with his success in Germany, aligns with City’s structural and stylistic demands.

Importantly, he is viewed as someone capable of sustaining Guardiola’s principles rather than reinventing them. Castles also noted that Alonso had previously been Liverpool’s preferred choice before Arne Slot was appointed, highlighting how highly he is regarded at the elite level.

At this stage, Guardiola remains fully in charge, focused on closing the six-point gap to Arsenal with 17 league games remaining. However, the inclusion of Alonso on City’s list reinforces how seriously the club takes long-term continuity.

Speculation around Guardiola’s future has intensified in recent weeks, with Enzo Maresca also mentioned as a potential successor. Castles explained that such reports have irritated Guardiola, referencing a recent press conference in which the City manager addressed the issue at length.

City’s interest in Alonso illustrates a club operating several steps ahead, prepared for eventual transition even while fully committed to the present.

In modern elite football, success is built not only on results but also on readiness. Manchester City’s monitoring of Xabi Alonso reflects exactly that philosophy.