Guardiola has a year remaining on his contract and has publicly stated he intends to honour it, but a growing feeling within football is that he could walk away at the end of this campaign.
City's sporting director Hugo Viana is leading the succession planning, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the club's stance is clear: "If Pep wants to leave this summer or any moment, the name that Manchester City have in mind is Enzo Maresca."
Maresca, 46, has been without a club since leaving Chelsea on New Year's Day. He won the Conference League and Club World Cup in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, qualified for the Champions League and left the club in fifth place — only to be replaced by Rosenior, who was then sacked after 23 matches.
His deep familiarity with City's philosophy strengthens his candidacy. He joined the club's development setup in 2020, served as Guardiola's assistant during the treble-winning 2022-23 season, and is described by Guardiola himself as "one of the best managers in the world."
A complication exists around his outstanding contractual ties to Chelsea, who may seek to negotiate a compensation arrangement before allowing him to join a direct rival. City are understood to have factored this into their planning.