PEP GUARDIOLA has reportedly told three Brighton players that Roberto De Zerbi will be the next Manchester City manager.
The Spaniard is expected to leave the Etihad when his contract expires in 2025.
Guardiola has already won five Premier League titles, four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups and the Champions League with City, so his departure will inevitably mark the end of a glittering era.
However, he believes that Brighton boss De Zerbi will be the perfect person to pass the baton to.
According to The Telegraph, Man City manager Guardiola approached three Brighton players in the tunnel after the two sides met in May.
He told them: "That’s the next Man City manager," while nodding in the direction of De Zerbi.
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Guardiola is a known admirer of the Italian and has even hailed him as one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years.
Former Man City captain Vincent Kompany has been linked with the job in recent months.
Burnley full-back Connor Roberts is convinced that he will take charge of the Cityzens one day.
Roberts said: "Vincent will go and have that Man City job one day. I can't express how good Vincent and his staff are.
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"I thought I knew quite a lot about football about how to play and what to do. But this season working with them, now I know a lot more."
Despite their success in the Championship, Kompany's Clarets have endured a slow start to life back in the Premier League.
They currently sit 18th in the table with just four points from eight games.
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