As had been reported through the week, Manchester City on Saturday confirmed that Hugo Viana would be succeeding Txiki Begiristain as director of football at the end of the current season (2024/25).
Viana will work with Begiristain over the coming months with a view to a smooth transition towards his official appointment in June.
And given that sports fans love nothing more than to anticipate potential transfers and job changes, this news has in turn led to one gaffer becoming the clear favourite to take the helm at the Etihad Stadium if Pep Guardiola does indeed join Begiristain in leaving after this campaign.
Ruben Amorim, 39, currently manages Sporting Clube de Portugal (known by some as Sporting Lisbon), where Viana currently works in the very same role he will assume in Manchester next season.
Given that City and Begiristain himself are very keen on Viana’s working style, it has automatically made Amorim a very likely candidate if the defending Premier League champions do indeed find themselves in need of a new first team coach.
Guardiola is currently in his ninth season in charge of City, during which he has collected a vast haul of trophies and broken records left, right and centre.
But it remains unknown whether he intends to sign a new contract for a 10th campaign or more.
Odds to replace Pep Guardiola as next Man City manager
Betting aggregator Oddschecker have Amorim as the favourite to be the next man in the hot seat after Guardiola, no matter when that may be, with odds as short as 4/1 at some of the bookmakers listed.
However also considered to be a strong favourites is Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, formerly of Liverpool’s midfield.
It remains to be seen if Amorim’s chances with bookies pull away from Alonso’s as news of Viana’s impending appointment sinks in.
