Man City 'considering Plan B' should Pep Guardiola decide to leave

Manchester City are reportedly planning for life without Pep Guardiola should he decide to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of his contract.

At the beginning of the week, reports emerged that Guardiola had been approached informally by the FA over the prospect of succeeding Gareth Southgate as England manager. It is believed the Catalonian was unable to give a firm answer about his future so the Three Lions looked for alternatives.

On Wednesday, the FA officially confirmed former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel as Southgate's replacement. The German has signed an 18-month contract with the England national team which starts in January and shall take him up to and including the 2026 World Cup.

READ MORE: Why Tuchel was appointed England boss amid links to Guardiola

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While Guardiola will not be leaving for the England job, his future at City remains unknown even to his bosses. The Guardian reports that City's owners are hoping to avoid being caught cold by Guardiola deciding late that he wishes to leave the club at the end of his contract next summer.

As such, they are eyeing replacements and near the top of that list is Sporting boss Ruben Amorim. The 39-year-old, whose contract expires in 2026, has enjoyed success in Lisbon having led the club to two league titles, two league cups and a Super Cup.

A move to the Premier League has been on the radar of Amorim for some time having admitted he spoke with West Ham United before the end of last season. Liverpool were also thought to be considering him to replace Jurgen Klopp but felt in the end that Arne Slot was a better fit.

Should the Blues move for Amorim, they would receive the blessing of Guardiola. In 2022 he praised the Portuguese, stating: "They won the Portuguese league!

"Their manager [Ruben Amorim] is one of the best at the moment. His team is really good."