Man City turn to Liverpool and Chelsea target as top choice to replace Pep Guardiola

Manchester City are having to prepare for life after Pep Guardiola and have identified Ruben Amorim as an eventual successor with the Sporting Lisbon boss continuing to impress

Manchester City will pursue Ruben Amorim as their next manager if Pep Guardiola does opt to leave.

The Catalan's contract is winding down and expires at the end of the season. He is yet to decide on his next move and, as a result, the Premier League champions are considering who may replace him should they need to fill his sizeable void.

Amorim has been seen as one of the best young managers in Europe for several years. His impressive exploits with Sporting Lisbon have made them a force in Portugal - upsetting the usual dual dominance of Porto and Benfica.

The 39-year-old already has five years of managerial experience and has twice delivered the Portuguese title, doing so for a second time last season. He's also claimed the Portuguese Cup with those successes previously attracting the attention of Liverpool and Chelsea.

Amorim is a close ally of Hugo Viana, reports the Guardian, who will take over from Txiki Begiristain as City’s director of football next summer. Viana has also been crucial in Sporting's recent success and will take his talents to the Etihad in the coming months.

The Manchester outfit have had Guardiola at the helm since 2016 but will eventually have to ensure there is a succession plan. Amorim has allowed several players at Sporting to thrive, some leaving the club for big fees, whilst he's also been able to spot hidden gems.

Currently the Lisbon-based outfit boast the likes of Viktor Gyökeres, who excelled in the Championship with Coventry before his move to Portugal. Whilst at Sporting his value has skyrocketed with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea linked with the Swedish striker.

Image: Getty Images) Getty Images)

Guardiola had never stayed more than four years in his jobs before moving to City. He's now into his ninth season and has rewritten a number of English football's records. He and his team remain at the peak of their powers and the Catalan admits he has made no decision on what he'll do next.

“Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” Guardiola said when asked about his future on Italian TV show Che Tempo Che Fa. “And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it … I don’t know either, anything can happen.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article