Sam Lee has suggested that Pep Guardiola will have a say in who eventually replaces him at Manchester City.
The Spaniard recently revealed that he will be in charge of the Manchester club for next season regardless of whether or not his side win the FA Cup and Champions League in the coming weeks.
Following City’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, whose manager, Roberto De Zerbi, has been hailed as one of the most influential managers of the past 20 years by Guardiola, the subject of the 52-year-old’s future at the Etihad Stadium has been the subject of conversation.
Lee tips Guardiola to be involved in process to find a replacement
Speaking in a recent episode of the Let Me Talk podcast, Lee said this on the matter.
He said: “You would imagine that when he comes to leaving City, he will be part of that process in so far that he will say to the club, ‘I think this guy can do it’.
“He said at other points in the press conference that he’s been calling people in Italy about Inter. He always says that if they’re signing a player from Holland, he’ll call Ronald Koeman or whatever.
“So if there’s going to be a new City manager needed, at any point in the future I’m sure Guardiola will be part of that process. The only reason he wouldn’t be part of that is if he decides to leave in a flood of tears after Istanbul. But like he said, that’s not going to happen.
“Generally speaking he’s probably going to recommend it, and he’s a massive fan of [Roberto] De Zerbi and you could easily see him going ‘this guy.’”
As things stand, Guardiola’s contract at the club is set to expire in the summer of 2025, meaning that unless he agree to continue his journey with City, the hierarchy will have to start considering potential options to replace the manager.
Back in March, Guardiola said that it is destined for former City captain, Vincent Kompany, to take the reins at the Etihad Stadium one day, after managing to get Burnley out of the Championship and back into the Premier League.
Now that Lee has mentioned the Spaniard’s admiration of De Zerbi, who has taken Brighton into the Europa League for next season, the Italian could well be another option to replace the City manager whenever he decides to call an end to his time at the club.
Having been at the club since 2016, it would make sense for Guardiola to be involved in finding a suitable heir when the time comes given the knowledge he has of the club and the people around it.
