Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s future at The Etihad has been thrown into doubt in recent days, despite his current contract running through to 2027.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently reported that Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is on the club’s list of contingency options in case the Spanish tactician moves on in the summer of 2026.

City are said to be drawing up contingencies in the event that Guardiola decides to call time on his spell with the Cityzens at the end of the current season, with Maresca one of the names at the top of the list.

Manchester City eye former player as Pep successor

The Chelsea head coach is not the only name on their list of potential replacements for Guardiola, however, as another name has emerged in a fresh report.

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According to TEAMtalk, Hugo Viana has drawn up a shortlist of candidates for the job because the club are aware that their manager may step back in the summer of 2026.

The report claims that former City captain and current Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany is being considered as an option, alongside Maresca.

It adds that Mikel Arteta was once planned to be Guardiola’s natural successor, having previously been one of his coaches, but his success at Arsenal has changed their plans, with Kompany now coming into the frame.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not the former Premier League central defender is open to moving on from the German giants to return to The Eithad next summer.

Why Man City should appoint Kompany

If Guardiola decides to leave the club at the end of the current season, Viana should avoid a move for Maresca and, instead, push to appoint Kompany as the new head coach.

Maresca, having been an assistant to Pep in the past, would make sense on paper. He won the Club World Cup and the Conference League in his first season with the Blues, to his credit.

However, he has yet to prove that he can win a title in a major European league, as the Spaniard finished fourth in the Premier League last season and currently has his side in fourth place.

Kompany, who scored that brilliant goal in a title-race for City in the clip above, has experience winning titles as both a player and a manager in the major European leagues.

The former Belgium international won four Premier League titles with the Cityzens as a player and won the Bundesliga title in his first season with Bayern as a head coach.

Stats

Maresca (Chelsea)

Kompany (Bayern)

Titles won

0

1

Games managed

89

80

Wins

55

59

Draws

14

11

Losses

20

10

Goals scored

186

235

Points per game

2.01

2.35

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Kompany has had more success at Bayern than Maresca has had at Chelsea, with more wins and far more goals scored in nine fewer games managed, averaging 0.34 more points per game.

On top of winning the Bundesliga in his first season in charge of the German giants, after Bayer Leverkusen had won the division in the 2023/24 campaign, his side are currently top with 12 wins and two draws in 14 matches.

Kompany, whose leadership was described as “contagious” by former City forward Leroy Sane, has proven that he can manage the expectations that come with being the head coach of an elite winning-machine of a club, like Bayern.

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The German giants expect greatness and trophies every season, which Kompany is currently delivering, and Guardiola has ensured that the expectation is the same at Manchester City, with four Premier League titles in the last four seasons.

That is why the Belgian boss could be the perfect fit as a successor in the dugout at The Etihad because he knows the club, he knows the Premier League, and he knows how to win trophies whilst managing a club with high expectations.

Maresca fits the first two criteria but is yet to show that he can coach a team to win a title at the top level, which is why there is still some doubt about whether or not he would be a good option to replace Guardiola.

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Therefore, Kompany should be Viana’s number one option to be Manchester City’s next manager, if they are in the market for one next summer, as he would be an upgrade on Maresca and an ideal replacement for Pep.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing Chelsea’s Willian to Old Trafford.

Mourinho is seeking a reunion with the player he first brought to Stamford Bridge in 2013 by making him a Red Devil. Indeed, Willian is currently on duty with Brazil at the World Cup in Russia, where he has started in each to the Selecao’s four games so far. 

Willian has been an asset to the Premier League since his arrival, bringing flair and joyously direct play to his Chelsea side. He would also be a decent addition to this United squad, valued as he is by Transfermarkt at £28.8 million.

For that kind of money, United could do better than the 29-year-old though.

Malcom

Malcom, a compatriot of Willian, currently stars for Bordeaux in Ligue 1. At 21, he is ready now for bigger and better things.

He is a more traditional winger than Willian, but he replicates the Chelsea man’s superb close control and dribbling skills. 

Like Willian, Malcom is a flair player who, if he were to arrive in Manchester, would delight the Old Trafford faithful with his tricks and flicks, desire to take on his opponents, and habit of showing them up with his blistering pace. 

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What’s more, United could do with a wide presence who doesn’t feel like a central striker shunted out there. Martial and Rashford, for instance, both look more comfortable when playing through the middle. 

Malcom is specialist on the flanks, and has the legs that Antonio Valencia lost a while ago. It would take a greater outlay to bring Malcom to the club than Willian. Transfermarkt value him at £40.5 million, but United would be getting so much more for their money in the shape of the 21-year-old who could be marauding up the wing for the Red Devils for years to come. 

In a well contested game, Gujarat defeated Saurashtra by 24 runs inthe West Zone Ranji Trophy one day match at the GSFC ground in Barodaon Friday.Put in to bat, Gujarat thanks to valuable knocks by opener AmrishKotecha (42), Kiran Damani (45) and Bhavin Mehta (38) scored 218before being all out in 49.4 overs. Wickets fell at regular intervalsthanks in the main to some good bowling by Niraj Odedra who took fourfor 50 off ten overs.Saurashtra started well and were 55 for one in the 14th over. ButLalit Patel and Tejas Varsani caused a collapse and Saurashtra were107 for six. A seventh wicket partnership of 64 runs off 11.4 oversbetween Hitesh Parsana (39) and Sudip Mehta (42) revived Saurashtra’shopes but the late order succumbed meekly and Saurashtra were all outfor 194 in 47 overs. Lalit Patel (3 for 35 off ten overs) and Varsani(2 for 26 off nine overs) caused the main damage.

Kasun Rajitha, a 22-year-old seamer from Badureliya Sports Club, has been picked in both the four-day and one-day squads for Sri Lanka A’s tour of New Zealand in October. Rajitha has played only seven first-class matches, and has taken just six wickets at an average of 81.83 in the Premier League Tournament. However, match figures of 7 for 106 in the recent tour match against the Indians have helped earn him a place in both squads.Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and opening batsman Dhananjaya de Silva, who debuted in the recent T20 series against Pakistan, also find places in both squads. Seamer Lahiru Gamage, wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, and middle-order batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, who have all played for Sri Lanka in the past, also feature in both squads. Batsman Ashan Priyanjan has been named captain of both teams.Vishwa Fernando, the 23-year-old left-arm seamer who is in the Sri Lanka squad for the ongoing Test series against India, has been named in the four-day squad only. Chamara Kapugedara, meanwhile, is in the squad for the one-dayers.Left-arm chinaman bowler Lakshan Sandakan, who has been among the top five wicket-takers in to successive domestic seasons, and had also been in a Sri Lanka ODI squad last year, does not find a place in either squad.Sri Lanka A play four unofficial ODIs and two unofficial Tests against New Zealand A. Their tour begins in Lincoln on October 1, with two warm-up encounters against New Zealand Cricket’s winter training squad.Sri Lanka A unofficial Test squad: Ashan Priyanjan (capt.), Dananjaya De Silva, Udara Jayasundara, Minod Bhanuka, Niroshan Dickwella, Roshen Silva, Asela Gunaratne, Angelo Jayasinghe, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Nisala Tharaka, Lahiru Gamage, Jeffrey Vandersay, Amila Aponso, Kithuruwan VithanageSri Lanka A unofficial ODI squad: Ashan Priyanjan (capt.), Dananjaya De Silva, Dhanushka Gunathilaka, Shehan Jayasuriya, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Niroshan Dickwella, Dasun Shanaka, Chamara Kapugedara, Lahiru Madushanka, Chaturanga De Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Gamage, Kasun Rajitha, Binura Fernando, Nisala Tharaka

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo – Fawad Alam struck five fours and a six in his 42-ball 60•AFP

Karachi Region Blues overcame a late scare as Aamer Yamin’s unbeaten 20-ball 45 was not enough to prevent an eight-run loss for Multan Region in the first semi-final in Rawalpindi. Requiring 69 off the last four overs, six fours and four sixes were hit – primarily by Yamin – bringing the equation down to 9 off 2 balls but two dot balls thereafter meant Karachi qualified for the final, a stage they have reached on five occasions but never gone on to win the tournament.Chasing 190, Multan lost Imran Farhat in the second over but brisk stands of 47 and 45 for the second and third wickets kept them on course. Sohaib Maqsood smashed three consecutive sixes in a 21-run 10th over off Fawad Khan and followed that with another six in the next. However, they suffered a collapse as 100 for 2 turned to 120 for 7 in the 16th over, before Yamin’s late blitz gave Multan some hope. Abdul Ameer conceded 21 runs and also picked up four wickets in four overs, a performance that earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. At the other end of the spectrum, Khan conceded 66 runs in his four overs.Earlier, Karachi slumped to 22 for 3 inside three overs, after electing to bat. Sarfraz Ahmed (38) and Asad Shafiq (53), however, lifted their side with a 57-run stand in 28 balls. Shafiq then combined well with Fawad Alam (60) for a 75-run partnership, taking Karachi to 189.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOpener Rafatullah Mohmand’s 51-ball 78 and an unbeaten 47 from Mohammad Rizwan set up Peshawar Region’s five-wicket win over Sialkot Region, sealing the team’s place in the final of the Haier Mobile T20 Cup. Peshawar will play Karachi Region Blues in the final on Tuesday.Mohmand’s half-century controlled the early part of Peshawar’s 170-run chase, ensuring the side were unaffected by the wickets of Israrullah and Iftikhar Ahmed. His 79-run partnership with Rizwan which came off 9.1 overs kept Peshawar in control, and despite a couple of quick wickets towards the end of the innings, the side reached the target with more than an over to spare.Sialkot’s innings of 169 for 7 was powered by Adeel Malik’s unbeaten 46-ball 70 but the side was held back by the loss of quick wickets in the middle overs, which saw them go from a promising 44 for 1 to 92 for 5. Malik and Shakeel Ansar’s 62-run partnership for the sixth wicket stemmed the slide and pushed the score past 150. The side took 60 runs off the last five overs to finish at a challenging 169 for 7.

SLC Board President’s XI squad

Udara Jayasundera, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne (capt.), Minod Bhanuka (wk), Milinda Siriwardana, Angelo Jayasinghe, Sachith Pathirana, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Suraj Randiv, Lahiru Milantha, Lasanda Rukmal, Kasun Madushanka, Sahan Nanayakkare

Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day encounter against the West Indians, at SSC. Batting allrounder Milinda Siriwardene, and seamers Suranga Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando, all of whom are in contention for Test call-ups, have also been named. Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, offspinner Suraj Randiv and spinning-allrounder Sachith Pathirana find places in the Board XI squad as well.With Sri Lanka’s A team overseas, a younger crop of players also feature in this squad, including Kusal Mendis, the 20-year-old batsman who recently led the Sri Lanka Under-19 team. Other recent graduates from the Under-19 side include left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkare and wicketkeeper-batsman Minod Bhanuka.The match begins on October 8. It is West Indies’ only warm-up match on the island. The first Test begins on October 14.

ScorecardFile photo – Dinesh Karthik’s unbeaten 76 helped Tamil Nadu ride a middle-order collapse against Mumbai•Sivaraman Kitta

Left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar’s four-wicket haul helped Mumbai take the honours on the opening day of their Group B Ranji Trophy fixture against Tamil Nadu in Mumbai. Dabholkar took 4 for 67 as Tamil Nadu, who were sent in to bat, ended the day at 249 for 6, with Dinesh Karthik unbeaten on 76.With regular captain Abhinav Mukund ruled out before the start due to a stomach bug, Tamil Nadu were driven early on by Baba Aparajith who made 62. Aparajith added 84 for the second wicket with Kaushik Gandhi (31) to steady the innings after M Vijay’s return to first-class cricket, following his recovery from a hamstring injury, yielded all of 8 runs.Dabholkar, who was left out of the game against Punjab, then triggered a middle-order meltdown. He dismissed Gandhi, Aparajith and stand-in captain Baba Indrajith (0) in the space of three runs – the last two batsmen falling off consecutive deliveries – as Tamil Nadu slipped to 107 for 4 in the post-lunch session.Karthik held his own to bring up his first half-century of the season. He found an able ally in J Kousik (39) as the duo stitched together a 59-run stand for the sixth wicket. Their partnership was broken by Dabholkar a few overs before the second new ball was due.Karthik, who hit eight fours and a six in his knock, and Malolan Rangarajan then batted out 13.2 overs without further damage.

Baroda translated their overwhelming superiority over Bihar into victory by an innings and 114 runs with a day to spare in their Group B match of the Ranji Trophy Super League at the IPCL sports complex ground in Baroda on Monday.An innings victory for the home team was always on the cards after Bihar had had a bad day at the office on the second day. After following on 380 runs behind, Bihar who resumed at 74 for three were all out for 266 on Monday.There was never much chance of Bihar saving the game but some of their batsmen did make an attempt. Opener Nikhilesh Ranjan hit a gallant 72. He faced 172 balls and hit nine fours. He and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (45) added 84 runs for the fourth wicket off 22 overs. Then Mihir Diwakar, coming in at No 7, hit a breezy 67. He faced just 53 balls and hit four fours and six sixes. But the rest of the batsmen were no match for Zaheer Khan who took five for 67 to finish with match figures of ten for 110.

Punjab defeated Bengal by eight wickets in the CricInfo Trophy women’sNational Cricket Championship at the JDSA Ground in Jorhat on Tuesday.Punjab, powered by a fine innings of 98 not out in 102 balls byGulshan, reached the victory target of 170 in 35.3 overs. ThoughGulshan lost Anjuman Bassi (8) at 31 in the seventh over, she sealedthe match for Punjab with a 119-run second wicket stand in 29 overswith Gurdeep Kaur (24). Then Anjali Sharma (8) joined Gulshan to guidePunjab home in the 36th over.Earlier, electing to bat, Bengal openers Anaya Mitra (11) and SeemaBhowmick (13) put on 28 runs in eight overs. But then they lost somequick wickets and were 56 for 3 in 19.3 overs. However ChandrabatiPall (36) and Rumeli Dhar (43) added 73 runs in 12.5 overs for thefourth wicket. Jhulan Goswami (19) then joined Chandrabati in a fifthwicket partnership worth 31 runs in 5.4 overs. But after that, therewas little substance in the Bengal innings and they were all out for169 in 45.2 overs.

A season’s best 98 from Vince Wells, Leicestershire captain could notprevent a draw against Somerset in the County Championship DivisionOne match at Taunton. 140 overs were lost to weather on the first twodays, thereby ensuring that the game would end in a draw – the seventhon this ground in as many games this season.Resuming on the final day at 233 for 4, Leicestershire ended theirinnings at 470 all out in 122.2 overs. The fifth wicket stand betweenWells and Aftab Habib (72) produced 141 when Habib was out to JasonKerr. Then Wells got out to Kerr, two runs short of his century.Two balls later Philip DeFreitas (0) got an inside edge to Kerr andwas out caught behind. Jon Dakin (16) and Neil Burns (57) batted tilllunch. Finally Anil Kumble (35) and Burns put on a ninth wicketpartnership of 84 which enabled Leicestershire to obtain maximumbatting points before they departed in quick succession. Kerr wasSomerset’s successful bowler taking 4 for 97 in 23 overs.With 59 runs behind and 43 overs to see out, Somerset lost MarkLathwell (7) and Turner (3) and were 21 for 2. Then Jamie Cox (40 notout) and Peter Bowler (27 not out) took the score to 90 for 2 in 27overs when the game was called off.The 12 points gained by Somerset virtually assured them of FirstDivision status next season, while Leicestershire’s 11 elevates themto third position – seven points in front of Yorkshire who have a gamein hand.