Manchester City prepare for life after Pep Guardiola; Rebuild planned for the summer

Last Updated on 4 February 2026

January didn’t just bring new faces to Manchester City, it brought clarity. Not about Pep Guardiola’s future, but about how the club is positioning itself if and when the most successful manager in its history steps aside.

The top quality arrivals of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi weren’t just about strengthening the squad. They were statements of intent. Signals that City’s power, pull and planning extend beyond one man, even one as transformative as Guardiola.

But just how will they go about it and who will be overseeing the major decisions once Pep departs?

Manchester City planning around the lack of clarity surrounding Pep Guardiola

When Guardiola signed a two-year extension in November 2024, it delayed the immediate sense of crisis. The cliff edge disappeared and the panic quietened.

But the uncertainty never truly went away.

City may publicly dismiss talk of Guardiola leaving early as speculation, yet privately the picture is more complex. As per the BBC, there is genuine doubt over whether he will see out the final year of his deal, and even less belief that another renewal will follow.

In other words, this feels less like stability and more like the opening chapter of an exit plan.

That uncertainty has real consequences. For years, Guardiola’s presence was City’s most powerful recruitment tool. Now, while his aura still matters, it no longer carries the same long-term guarantee.

Players know the reality. Anyone signing a five-year deal understands they are unlikely to spend most of it under Pep, as we predicted.

And yet, Semenyo and Guehi still chose City. That matters.

Both had elite alternatives. Both knew Guardiola’s future was unresolved. Neither hesitated. That tells you City’s pitch has shifted, away from “come work with Pep” and towards “this club wins, with or without him.”

Behind the scenes, rival clubs have tried to weaponise the narrative of Pep’s eventual departure. City’s response hasn’t been denial, it’s been preparation.

A summer of change awaits Manchester City, with or without Pep Guardiola

If Pep’s future is uncertain, the direction of the club is not.

That responsibility now sits squarely with Hugo Viana and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Txiki Begiristain’s departure marked the end of an era, but not a vacuum. Viana’s appointment was deliberate, he was not thrown in, he was chosen.

Crucially, no major decision at City happens without Al Mubarak. He remains the ultimate agenda-setter, and he will play a central role in appointing Guardiola’s successor when the time comes.

Viana will lead the search, but the final call will reflect the club’s long-term identity, not a quick fix. Even, on the pitch, the transition is already visible. Their long-known core has slowly dissipated with a new one slowly forming.

Viana has already shown his approach. When City missed out on Florian Wirtz, he pivoted quickly, landing Rayan Cherki at a lower cost a move City believe has paid off.

The arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, James Trafford, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri underline a recruitment strategy that blends elite pedigree with long-term value.

As a result of all that, City are not bracing for collapse, they are preparing for a new era. And, Pep Guardiola may still be at the heart of Manchester City but for the first time in years, the club is openly functioning as if one day soon, he won’t be.