Earlier this season Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola put an end to any immediate speculation over his future with the club when he signed a new two-year deal which will run until the summer of 2027.
The City boss, who has won 18 trophies with the club since his 2016 arrival, had entered the final year of his existing deal before putting pen to paper, raising doubts over his long-term future with the club.
Guardiola’s current nine-year tenure at the Etihad is by far the longest stop of his managerial career to date, but with the club enduring a tough season that is set to see them relinquish the Premier League crown they have held for the past four years, questions are again being asked about his future.
Manchester City keeping tabs on Arsenal legend
Guardiola’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, 20 points off pace-setters Liverpool, with the FA Cup their only chance of a trophy this season.
The City boss has cut an agitated figure on the sidelines in recent months and while he clearly has a huge amount of credit in the bank, the City hierarchy know that they must do their due diligence when it comes to having a succession plan in place.
And according to a report from Italian outlet Il Messaggero, Manchester City are one of a host of top European clubs monitoring former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who is enjoying success with Serie A side Como.
Fabregas, who was ranked at No.8 in FourFourTwo’s list of the 20 best Premier League midfielders ever, took over as Como’s manager last summer, following a brief interim stint in charge the previous year.
The newly promoted side currently sit 13th in the Serie A table, with Fabregas making an impressive start to life in the dugout, which has seen him catch the eye of clubs across Europe, with the report adding that Barcelona, Inter Milan and AC Milan are also keeping tabs on the 37-year-old’s future.
Fabregas has been able to integrate a number of promising young talents with seasoned veterans such as Pepe Reina and Sergi Roberto at Como, defying pre-season predictions that the team would immediately be facing a battle against the drop.
The Spaniard’s first step into the world of management comes after his illustrious playing career saw him turn out more than 300 times for Arsenal, before stints at Barcelona, Chelsea and Monaco, before he ended his playing days at Como.
During this time Fabregas won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one La Liga title and one Copa del Rey, as well as the 2010 World Cup and European Championships in 2008 and 2012 with Spain, for whom he represented 110 times.
Fabregas now looks to be utilising this experience as a manager and in FourFourTwo’s view, City are correct to be keeping an eye on one of the game’s emerging talents in the dugout.
You only need to hear Fabregas discuss the game - as he did as a pundit on British television at Euro 2024 - to know that he clearly knows his stuff and should have a bright future as a coach.
