Next Manchester City Manager Odds

The Favourites to be the Next Man City Manager

Manchester City could face a daunting task at the end of the season: replacing Pep Guardiola.

City have won the Premier League title four years in a row under Guardiola but his contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the current campaign, with no signs he is ready to renew it.

Guardiola has previously looked set to leave City only to commit to a contract extension, but as things stand the club will be seeking a new manager for the first time since the summer of 2016. The former Barcelona midfielder has established himself as one of the all-time managerial greats, with City having won the treble under his leadership in a glittering 2022-23 season.

Guardiola's future could also be tied to the outcome of City's 115 charges, with hearings set to get underway in the coming weeks. A ruling is not expected until the spring, with City highly likely to appeal against a punishment, which may include points deductions or even relegation from the Premier League.

It is hard to imagine Guardiola staying at City should they be booted out of the Premier League, as unlikely as that outcome may be. Currently, the bookies do not think Pep is a favourite for the next manager to be sacked, but the time might be right for him to move on anyway

Let's take a look at the contenders in the next Manchester City manager betting odds market.

Roberto de Zerbi - 4/1

Although De Zerbi has not long taken over at Marseille, he is the front-runner to be named the next manager of Manchester City according to the bookmakers, and it is clear to see why.

After City faced De Zerbi's Brighton team in 2023-24, Guardiola reportedly interrupted a conversation between two Seagulls players and said: "That’s the next Man City manager."

Guardiola will not be selecting his replacement himself, of course, but his opinion is sure to be canvassed by those in the City boardroom when the time comes to pick a new manager.

De Zerbi's Brighton side drew plaudits for their rapid attacking and exciting style of play, so there will be a lot of eyes on how he performs in Ligue 1 with Marseille, who have spent heavily.

Michel - 9/1

City's owners have a stake in multiple clubs across the globe these days, with Girona being the top-performing linked side. They qualified for the Champions League having been top of La Liga for much of the 2023-24 season, resulting in speculation that respected boss Michel may leave.

Being a part of the City Football Group means tabs are sure to be kept on Michel, who was named La Liga Coach of the Year, especially as he leads Girona into the Champions League.

Xabi Alonso - 9/1

Various elite clubs were said to be interested in Alonso in the summer of 2024, but ultimately links to the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool came to nothing as the Spaniard stayed put.

A hugely impressive season that saw Bayer Leverkusen romp to the Bundesliga title put Alonso's name in the frame for just about any top job, with City sure to be interested in him.

The ex-midfielder knows the Premier League from his playing days but with the Real Madrid job likely to come up sooner rather than later, that might be a likelier next move for Alonso to make.

Ruben Amorim - 10/1

One of the hottest young managers in the game, Amorim has yet to be tempted away from Sporting, who he has led to a brace of league titles and a couple of cups in his time in charge.

The 39-year-old has been linked to Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United and it seems sure he will be moving on to one of the world's biggest clubs at some point, but could it be City?

Youth development is key to Amorim's work at Sporting, which City's bosses would welcome.

Vincent Kompany - 10/1

A season of struggle in the Premier League with Burnley did not seem to damage Kompany's reputation, with the former City captain given the chance to move on to Bayern Munich.

Long touted as a future manager at the Etihad Stadium, Kompany's possession-based tactics could be a good fit for City but his Clarets side were wide open at the back and easy to beat.

Kompany will surely need to prove himself at Bayern to be given a shot as the next City boss.

Zinedine Zidane - 12/1

Among the managers who are currently out of work, Zidane is undoubtedly the highest profile.

Yet to return to management after his second spell in charge of Real Madrid came to an end in 2021, reports indicate Zidane is waiting patiently for the France national team job to come up.

But the Manchester City job could be tough to turn down and Zidane's record of winning the Champions League three times in a row means he is considered among the world's best.

However, the fact Zidane has only managed Real Madrid is something that counts against him. The 52-year-old has also long been linked with the Manchester United manager job as well.

Luis Enrique - 16/1

Another Barcelona icon, Luis Enrique has earned plaudits for his work at Paris Saint-Germain.

The 54-year-old won the treble in his time at Camp Nou and a domestic treble in his first season at PSG - which came after six years out of the club game - showed he remains a top coach.

Julian Nagelsmann - 16/1

Currently in charge of the Germany national side, Nagelsmann's reputation as one of the most exciting young managers in the game took a minor hit when he was sacked by Bayern Munich.

That came after winning successive Bundesliga titles, but being behind Borussia Dortmund in the race for top spot in his third campaign led to the Bayern board opting to pull the trigger.

Nagelsmann's Germany side lost narrowly to Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.

Kieran McKenna - 18/1

Leading Ipswich Town to successive promotions and a return to the Premier League after a long spell away from the top-flight put McKenna on the radar of clubs including Manchester United.

But McKenna opted to commit his future to Ipswich and his progress will be closely monitored. Not least by the Football Association, who reportedly have the highly-rated coach on their shortlist as they seek a permanent successor for Gareth Southgate, who left after Euro 2024.

Marco Rose - 18/1

Another German coach listed in the next Manchester City manager odds, Rose led RB Leipzig to the DFB Pokal title in 2023, but he struggled to make an impression at Borussia Dortmund.

Rose is often described as being a similar style to Jurgen Klopp, so he may not be the right fit for City. His Leipzig contract was set to expire in 2025 but he has since signed an extension.

Mikel Arteta - 20/1

Guardiola's former assistant has done fine work at Arsenal, pushing City close in the title race.

But it is extremely rare that managers move between top Premier League clubs and Arsenal would surely try to resist any interest in their popular Spanish manager. Were Arteta to be keen on making a return to Manchester to succeed Guardiola, it might be hard to keep him, though.

Reports from Spain have previously said City have identified Arteta as their next manager.

Long Shots in the Next Man City Manager Odds

The long list of names in the next Manchester City manager market, coupled with how close all of the prices are, suggests that the bookmakers have little idea who could succeed Guardiola.

Included at the same price as Arteta is Eddie Howe (20/1), who took Newcastle United back to the Champions League and is seen as a big contender to be named the next England manager.

Former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde (20/1) could also be in the frame for the City job. The veteran is in his second spell as Athletic Bilbao boss and may be deemed a safe pair of hands.

Diego Simeone (25/1) has long been linked with departing from Atletico Madrid, but many football insiders think he would only leave the Spanish capital if he was offered the chance to return to his old club Inter.

Within the Premier League, Unai Emery (33/1) has enhanced his reputation by leading Aston Villa to Champions League qualification. Unlike most of the other managers who are listed in the next Manchester City manager odds market, Emery has also got European titles on his resume.

Antonio Conte (33/1) has managed some of the top clubs in the world and is said to be keen on returning to the Premier League one day. However, he took the Napoli job in summer 2024.

Another ex-City player who could be shortlisted when the time comes to appoint a successor to Guardiola is Patrick Vieira (40/1). The former Arsenal captain was within the City Football Group umbrella when he led New York City FC, but his managerial career has come to little.