Enzo Maresca Set to Replace Pep Guardiola as Man City Manager, Three-year Deal Lined Up

Manchester City are reported to have reached a total verbal agreement with Enzo Maresca to become the club’s next manager, with an initial three-year contract expected to be signed. The development arrives as the club simultaneously…

By Ankush Mallick

May 19, 2026

4 min read

Manchester City are reported to have reached a total verbal agreement with Enzo Maresca to become the club’s next manager, with an initial three-year contract expected to be signed. The development arrives as the club simultaneously prepares for the end of Pep Guardiola’s era, after widespread reporting that Guardiola has informed City he will leave at the end of the season.

What is Actually Being Claimed?

The claim has three main parts:

Manchester City and Maresca have a full verbal agreement
The deal is effectively done (pending formalities)
Maresca will sign an initial three-year contract

Several reports, including The Guardian’s reporting on City’s succession planning, state City have agreed a three-year deal in principle with Maresca. BBC Sport reporting also says Maresca is set to replace Guardiola ahead of next season.

Why Maresca is Seen as The “Ideal Candidate” in City’s Model

Maresca is consistently framed as a Guardiola-aligned coach—both stylistically and culturally—because he has worked inside the City Football Group environment and has been publicly described as being influenced by Guardiola’s tactical approach.

From City’s perspective, “ideal” typically means: minimize disruption while maintaining the same high-control style of football that underpins recruitment, academy development, and match preparation.

What City Likely Want to Preserve

Positional play principles that create passing lanes and overloads
Structured build-up patterns (playing through pressure rather than around it)
Aggressive counter-pressing to keep opponents pinned
“System continuity” so squad planning doesn’t reset every two years

Mainstream reporting has repeatedly emphasized that City have been planning for a successor and that Maresca has been among the leading candidates in that internal conversation.

Key Deal Details at a Glance

Item	Reported detail	Confidence level (based on sources)
Club	Manchester City	High
Manager	Enzo Maresca	High
Status	Verbal agreement / deal in principle	Medium–High (varies by outlet wording)
Contract length	Initial three-year deal (or to ~2028)	Medium–High
Timing	For 2026–27 season	High

What Still Has to Happen (even if the agreement is “done”)

Even “total verbal agreement” situations usually have practical steps before the appointment becomes official:

Step	What it involves	Why it matters
Contract drafting	Salary, staff structure, performance clauses	Prevents ambiguity and protects both sides
Release/compensation	If Maresca is under contract elsewhere, compensation is negotiated	This is often the slowest part
Staff selection	Assistants, analysts, set-piece coach, performance staff	City’s backroom integration is a competitive edge
Announcement timing	Coordinated with end-of-season messaging	Clubs prefer control over narrative

The Guardian reporting specifically references compensation issues connected to Maresca, highlighting why “agreed” and “announced” can be separated by days or weeks.