Pep Guardiola to quit? The ‘odds-on’ shift for Enzo Maresca as Man City exit talk intensifies
Enzo Maresca is edging ever closer towards becoming Manchester City’s next manager in the eyes of one of the UK’s leading bookmakers.
There has been huge uncertainty surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future at the Etihad Stadium in recent months, as speculation has continued to swirl regarding a potential departure at the end of the season.
The Citizens are now just five points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, and still possess a game in hand which could be crucial to help them reel in their title rivals.
City are currently on an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but the situation in the dugout is continuing to dominate the talk around the club at the moment.
Enzo Maresca lined up to replace Pep Guardiola
Former Everton and Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness told Football Insider last week that the 115 legal charges that City are currently facing could ultimately cause Guardiola to quit the club.
The Spaniard is under contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2027, but Wyness suggested that he could potentially view their complicated legal situation as the final straw as he eyes a premature exit.
The uncertainty surrounding Guardiola has prompted the club hierarchy to begin to assess the options that could be available to them if they end up needing to replace the 55-year-old.
Maresca is somebody who the board have identified as an appealing candidate, and he has previously spent a year working as part of Guardiola’s coaching team during the 2022-23 campaign.
The former Chelsea boss is viewed as an increasingly likely option by the bookmakers, with one outlet currently pricing the Italian as the odds-on favourite to take the reins at City, at odds of just 4/6.
The likes of Xabi Alonso, Luis Enrique and Vincent Kompany are also thought to be in the frame, but it is clear that Maresca is the heavy favourite for the position at the moment.
Man City to learn fate of 115 charges imminently
City have had to wait for a prolonged period of time to find out the outcome of their well-publicised legal case, but the end may finally be in sight for them.
The Manchester outfit were charged with the alleged rule breaches over three years ago, while it has now been over a year since their hearing concluded, but a verdict is yet to be reached.
However, football finance expert Kieran Maguire has recently revealed that we could now be just months away from learning what, if any, punishment City will face.
Maguire revealed on the Overlap earlier this week that the decision is likely to have been delayed by the practicalities of getting the court’s leading players together at the same time, but that now he expects the process to be in the final stages.
He added that the charges that City are facing are “very, very serious,” and it has been clear for several months now that the impacts could potentially be catastrophic for them in the future.