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Manchester City are refusing to lie down against Arsenal in the Premier League title race but their future beyond the end of the season appears somewhat murky
There have already been several clues that Manchester City are swiftly approaching the end of a golden trophy-laden era.
City will continue to compete and win silverware but it may now be time to consider what life will look like beyond Pep Guardiola.
The Spaniard has yet to provide clear assurances that he will stay this summer but he will still have one year left on his Man City contract when the campaign ends.
Enzo Maresca is the clear frontrunner to replace Guardiola if he decides to call time on his glistening Etihad reign but given City are still fighting tooth and nail for the Premier League title and FA Cup, distractions do not currently feel necessary.
Talk over Guardiola's future has ebbed and flowed but during the international break, the futures of Bernardo Silva and Rodri have become a prominent topic.
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Bernardo's contract expires at the end of the season while Rodri's deal is up in June 2027, alongside Guardiola.
The Portuguese playmaker has long flirted with an exit but this time around, it feels likely that Bernardo will embark on a new chapter after winning 16 trophies in Manchester (19 if you include the Community Shield).
Juventus, Benfica, plus teams from the MLS and Saudi Pro League are showing firm interest in the 31-year-old.
Rodri has also opened the door to a sensational switch to Real Madrid, who appear ready to launch a move for the Ballon d'Or winner.
The Spaniard, 29, has not ruled out discussing a new contract with City but the Premier League club are now facing the very real prospect of losing two key cornerstones of Guardiola's dressing room.
Then there's Pep's future. Does he have the energy to go again? Battling Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal for the top prizes in English football has been a gruelling, energy-sapping assignment.
Guardiola has nothing left to prove. Etihad legends Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne have all departed and he's rebuilt several great City sides.
Replacing the experience and quality of Bernardo and Rodri would by no means be an easy task, either. Sir Alex Ferguson mastered the art of stepping away from Manchester United at the perfect time.
While he left Old Trafford on a major high as a Premier League champion, the timing was impeccable because he left behind an ageing squad that would go onto struggle under various different managers
City's star-studded squad is by no means in decline following significant recent investment but it's hard to shake the feeling that if Arsenal win the title this season, it could be the first of many under Arteta.
Arsenal are coming up the hill and it's clear that even if Guardiola stays put for another season, we are now approaching the end of his remarkable chapter at the Etihad.
This season has been billed as boom-or-bust for Arsenal, some feel it's now or never. That is unlikely to be true because City won't be the same force once Guardiola departs but what's clear is that a title triumph this season could kick them onto even greater heights in the next five years.
Liverpool look like a side in desperate need of another £446million summer transfer window while Manchester United do not yet look ready to compete for the title.
Whatever Guardiola decides to do, one thing is evident; Arsenal won't be going away anytime soon.
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