Ale Moreno has discussed the two primary problems Manchester City will face after Pep Guardiola leaves the club.
On Sunday, Daily Mail journalist Jack Gaughan reported that Manchester City’s hierarchy is worried that Pep Guardiola will leave at the end of his contract in 2025. The report specified that Guardiola has not formally communicated his desire to leave City at the end of next season.
However, it was claimed that in recent months, insiders at the club and “sources within the industry” have openly discussed the prospect of Guardiola leaving the club next year.
Ale Moreno discusses the problems Man City will face post-Guardiola
The report added that sources believe that the 2024/2025 season will be the Catalan’s final campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Last Sunday, Pep Guardiola confirmed that he will remain the Manchester City boss in the following campaign.
The six-time Premier League winner also vowed to the club’s supporters at the title parade that City will win the FA Cup next season.
Regardless, Ale Moreno believes Manchester City will face two main problems when Pep Guardiola leaves the club; the first one is hiring a manager willing to take over from him.
Moreno said via ESPN FC: “Certainly, the big question would be, who’s willing to take this job on? Now, it’s an incredibly talented team. A talented group but man, if [Jurgen] Klopp left a hole at Liverpool, you can only imagine what size crater that [Pep] Guardiola is leaving behind at Manchester City.”
“It’s a great job with great players and that’s what you want as a manager. I don’t know if you want to follow Pep Guardiola.”
Ale Moreno also feels Manchester City will not have the same pull they have had over the years due to the Pep Guardiola factor.
“The other way to look at it, Stevie [Nicol] is that when you have been Pep Guardiola and Manchester City and you equate the two of them, players around the world want to go and play for Manchester City in due part because they want to play for Pep Guardiola.”
Moreno added: “When that’s taken out of the equation, now it’s a different dynamic altogether. So, it’s not just about the players that are there but also the players that are coming or not coming for the matter.”
“So, as you try and strengthen a team, it’s a whole lot easier to walk into a negotiating room and say Pep Guardiola is your manager as opposed to whoever the next guy may be, who may be great or may not be.”
The pundit concluded: “When I talk about the impact of the absence of a guy like Pep Guardiola, it’s not just what he does on a daily basis, it’s what he allows you to do as a club because of the brand that he represents.”
When Guardiola leaves, these problems will certainly occur at Man City
In our view, it is hard to disagree with Ale Moreno as Manchester City will face these two obstacles when Pep Guardiola leaves the club.
Whether that is after next season or a few years after, the question would be which manager backs themselves to replace the £378,846-a-week man?
Unless the manager in question ends up doing a phenomenal job, their potential failure as Guardiola’s replacement at City will be a narrative they will find difficult to escape.
Similar to how David Moyes was viewed as a failed successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
As Ale Moreno claimed, the advantage Manchester City have over other clubs when recruiting players is having Pep Guardiola at their disposal.
City will remain one of the biggest clubs in the world after Guardiola’s exit but they will find it tough to find it as seamless as they seemingly do to sign top players.
It is after Pep Guardiola’s departure that Manchester City’s hierarchy will be tested the most they have been in years.