As things stand, though, Guardiola will leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of next season. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is under contract until the summer of 2025 and it has been reported that he plans to depart Manchester City at that point. Last season's Treble winners could soon need a new manager.

City have earned a reputation for being one of the best run clubs in the Premier League in recent times. Their succession planning means they have been able to swiftly move on from the departure of key figures such as Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany without much of a drop-off on the pitch.

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Roberto De Zerbi has been mentioned in some quarters as a potential successor to Guardiola at Manchester City. The Italian has done an exceptional job over the last 12 months at Brighton and his possession-orientated approach would theoretically be a good fit for the reigning Premier League champions.

"There is no team playing the way they play - it's unique," Guardiola said of De Zerbi. "I had the feeling when he arrived the impact he would have in the Premier League would be great - I didn't expect him to do it in this short space of time. He creates 20 or 25 chances per game, better by far than most opponents. He monopolises the ball in a way it hasn't been for a long time."

Mikel Arteta was once seen as a candidate to succeed Guardiola, but he is now in charge at Arsenal who are Premier League title challengers in their own right. The shortlist of managers good enough to replace Guardiola when the time comes will be a small one. City, however, must start drawing it up now.