Manchester City are reportedly aiming to land Liverpool hero Xabi Alonso if Pep Guardiola does not see out his contract at the Etihad, though there will be stern competition for his signature, TEAMTALK understands.
Guardiola appeared to be heading towards the exit door at Man City before he extended his deal in November. The contract is designed to keep him at the club until summer 2027.
The world-renowned coach is determined to turn City’s fortunes around and build a squad capable of challenging for big trophies even when he leaves and is replaced.
Although, it is not guaranteed that Guardiola will stay at City for the next two years.
A recent report stated that City chiefs are concerned about the impact the team’s poor performances have been having on Guardiola’s health, as he has a skin condition and has also spoken about how lonely it is being a manager.
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According to Catalan source El Nacional, Guardiola is enduring the ‘worst moment’ of his coaching career and this has led to uncertainty over whether he will stay put.
Guardiola is allegedly ‘considering saying goodbye’, which has seen City ramp up their pursuit of his replacement.
Bayer Leverkusen boss Alonso is emerging as the leading candidate to succeed from Guardiola. City view Alonso as ‘one of the best coaches on the planet’ and the possibility of him moving to the Etihad has ‘gained strength’ in recent weeks.
City are spying a ‘spectacular’ deal to snare Alonso, despite his strong ties with rivals Liverpool. Etihad chiefs believe the former midfielder ‘can become a legend like Pep’.
Alonso knows Guardiola well, having played under the 54-year-old during his time at Bayern Munich.
Although, Alonso does have a different playing style, which means the City players would need to adjust accordingly if he was hired.
