Pep Guardiola is expected to exit Manchester City at the end of the 2025-26 season, potentially departing with a Premier League title and a squad positioned for continued success.
Guardiola, 55, has a contract running until June 2027 but signed a two-year extension in November 2024, surprising some given the length.
City currently trail the Premier League leaders by three points with five games remaining and have a game in hand, keeping the title race alive.
The club too reached the FA Cup semifinals, set to face Championship side Southampton, and won the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, leaving a domestic treble within reach.
If Guardiola exits after winning the title, he would leave City in a stronger structural position than the departures of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jürgen Klopp, or Arsène Wenger from their respective clubs.
Ferguson won his final Premier League title in 2012-13 with an aging Manchester United squad reliant on veterans like Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Robin van Persie, only Carrick remaining as a player beyond 2015.
Klopp left Liverpool in 2022 without a title but passed a squad to Arne Slot that won the league 12 months later.
Wenger departed Arsenal in 2018 without a title or a squad capable of immediate success, requiring major reconstruction under Mikel Arteta to restore contention.
Guardiola’s potential exit would contrast with these precedents by combining a title win with a squad projected to improve, based on current squad composition and recent performance.
How Guardiola’s situation differs from recent Premier League managerial exits
Guardiola’s possible departure stands out since he may leave with both a title and a squad in ascending form, unlike Ferguson, Klopp, or Wenger, whose exits left varying degrees of transition challenges for their successors.
What City’s current form suggests about their immediate future
City’s victory over Arsenal reduced the title deficit to three points with five games left and a game in hand, while their FA Cup semifinal appearance and prior Carabao Cup win maintain multiple trophies attainable.
Has Pep Guardiola announced his departure from Manchester City?
No, Guardiola has not made a formal announcement, and the club avoids such disclosures while still in contention for trophies to minimize distractions.
What trophies could Manchester City still win this season?
City could still win the Premier League, FA Cup, and have already won the Carabao Cup, leaving a domestic treble possible.
How did Sir Alex Ferguson’s final squad at Manchester United compare to Guardiola’s potential exit squad?
Ferguson’s 2012-13 title-winning squad relied heavily on aging players, with only Michael Carrick remaining beyond 2015, whereas Guardiola may leave a squad expected to improve.
