Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca have been told not to expect to take over at Manchester City once legendary manager Pep Guardiola steps down.
Guardiola appears to be coming to the end of his long and successful reign at the Etihad Stadium and reports say he is likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
The 53-year-old arrived at Man City in 2016 and after some initial teething problems has overseen one of the most dominant periods in English football, with the Citizens winning four successive Premier League titles, six domestic cups and the Champions League under his watch.
But Manchester City are currently going through their most difficult period under Guardiola, losing their last four games in all competitions to lose ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool and crash out of the Carabao Cup.
Man City will already be planning for life after Guardiola but ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy has essentially ruled Arteta and Maresca out of the running for the job despite their close links to the club.
Arsenal boss Arteta was Guardiola’s assistant at City before taking over Arsenal in 2021, while Chelsea manager Maresca worked in at the Etihad academy up until the same year.
Arteta has come close to winning the Premier League title at Arsenal while Maresca has made a superb start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge and will look for more success on Sunday when his Chelsea side take on the Gunners.
‘It’s a massive compliment to Pep Guardiola that two of the brightest Premier League managers worked for him at Manchester City and have greatly improved Chelsea and Arsenal on what they learned,’ Murphy told Mail Sport.
‘Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta will be in the conversation to succeed their mentor when Pep leaves because they already know the club so well. But I don’t think it’s going to happen.
‘First, I suspect City will want a manager with experience of winning a major league or European competition. With Hugo Viana due to begin as a new sporting director, they’ll need someone in the hot seat who can attract the stars.
‘Just as importantly, I don’t believe even if they are courted by City either Maresca or Arteta would be prepared at this stage to sacrifice the projects they are building for the awkward challenge of following a legend.
‘The only manager to compare with Guardiola in terms of success, Sir Alex Ferguson, has been impossible to match at Manchester United for more than a decade.’
Former Premier League star Murphy added: ‘From City’s point of view, they will question whether not having Guardiola or Txiki Begiristain in the building would alter their ability to recruit who they want.
‘Though modern players look at other factors besides the manager when choosing their next move, I still think a Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso or even Vincent Kompany would be able to attract the A-list players better than Maresca.
‘You could also say the same about Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, who might be available after the 2026 World Cup if Guardiola stays longer.’
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