Pep Guardiola has informed his Manchester City players that he will leave the club after Sunday's final Premier League match against Aston Villa. The manager felt compelled to update his squad after news of his departure emerged on Monday night, catching him by surprise as he prepared for Tuesday's fixture at Bournemouth. Guardiola had hoped to keep the decision private to avoid distractions, with City needing a win against Bournemouth to keep the title race alive after Arsenal moved five points clear.
City have identified Enzo Maresca as Guardiola's replacement. The club is understood to have agreed a three-year deal in principle with Maresca, who worked as Guardiola's assistant in the 2022-23 season. However, matters remain to be resolved regarding Maresca's exit from Chelsea, where he resigned on New Year's Day with three and a half years remaining on his contract.
Chelsea are expected to seek sizeable compensation from City for Maresca, who walked away without claiming severance. The London club hold his compensation rights, and the amount, though confidential, is believed to be significant. Chelsea view Maresca's resignation as a factor in their disappointing second half of the season, which saw them lose the FA Cup final and likely miss out on Champions League qualification.
Maresca's departure from Chelsea followed a strained relationship with the hierarchy. Tensions arose after last summer's Club World Cup triumph when he felt he deserved a new contract and was unhappy that the club did not sign a centre‑back after Levi Colwill's serious knee injury. The situation worsened after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on 30 December, when Maresca refused to face the media and told club officials he planned to quit.
Maresca intends to add Willy Caballero to his backroom staff at City. The former goalkeeper, who played for City for three years until May 2017, served as Maresca's assistant at Leicester and followed him to Chelsea before leaving with him.
