Liverpool could lose greatest Premier League rival with Pep Guardiola decision 'expected'

Pep Guardiola is expected to make a decision on his Man City future soon, with Liverpool looking to catch up with his side and Arsenal when next season kicks off

Man City manager Pep Guardiola.(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is said to be increasingly likely to leave the Etihad side this summer, a decade after arriving in the Premier League.

Guardiola has previously stated that he will decide his future when the season ends, opting to focus on the games that are coming up in the meantime.

"I want to be honest, I thought this [season] should be the last one," Guardiola said in 2024. "But the problems we had in the last month, I felt now was not the right time to leave. I didn’t want to let the club down. I felt I could not leave now, simple as that."

At that point, he signed a new deal until 2027. But much like Mohamed Salah, he could leave a year earlier than he is tied down for.

That is according to talkSPORT, who report that the former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is the leading contender to take over. The Italian was previously at Manchester City as a youth coach.

Over the last few years of the Jurgen Klopp era, he and Guardiola went head-to-head numerous times. Manchester City won more titles, but often by a single point.

Liverpool missed out on more than one occasion despite getting a points total that tipped into the 90s, with the Catalan's biggest challengers across his time in England undoubtedly being the Reds.

Virgil van Dijk had the option of joining Guardiola when he left Southampton, but he was convinced to move to Anfield instead, in part so he could work with Klopp.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola embraces Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)

"I had the chance to go to Chelsea and Man City," Van Dijk previously revealed. "When you compare the clubs, you look at the history, the town, the current squad, their plans for the near future.

"But the most important thing you look at is the manager — and Jurgen Klopp is an important reason why I chose for Liverpool.

"Klopp has something special. Is it his energy? Is it his overall image? I sometimes sit and think about what he does and what he has more than others.

"I think it is his man-management. These days that is more important than anything in football.

"Klopp gives you this great feeling. He is genuinely happy when you walk into the club in the morning. It may sound daft, but that really inspires you as a player.

"He gives every player a hug after the game. It might be a really small detail, yet it feels good for every player. And the next day, he can hammer you in front of the squad in training.

"But then you accept that too. Because you know it is not personal. That way he can demand a lot from us."

Guardiola has won six Premier League titles since being at Manchester City. He is looking to secure the trophy ahead of Arsenal this time around, and could collect a domestic treble. That would be quite the way to bow out on a high.