Manchester City are preparing for Pep Guardiola’s exit after Sunday’s Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the managerial great is expected to leave Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.
City maintain Guardiola has a contract for next season and are hopeful he will remain as manager.
However, work towards his anticipated exit is under way at the club, with members of staff of the understanding he will leave.
It is understood members of the squad are also anticipating his departure after the final game of the season against Villa, while the club have turned their attentions towards how best to mark the tenure of their iconic boss.
Naming the newly expanded North Stand after their departing manager is an option the club are understood to be considering.
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who worked under Guardiola at City, is the front-runner to replace the 55-year-old.
Guardiola has led City to 17 major trophies – and 20 in all – including six Premier League titles, the Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups during his 10 years at City.
The club’s greatest boss is widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time, and could yet still cap his stellar spell at Etihad Stadium with a seventh Premier League title, having already won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup this season.
Speculation about the manager’s future has been rife for months, with the question about his tenure at Manchester City often coming up in news conferences.
He was asked on Friday whether the following day’s trip to Wembley for the FA Cup final would be his last visit there. “No way,” he said, reminding reporters he had “one more year” on his contract.
And in a interview with BBC Sport before Saturday’s FA Cup final, when asked if he will still be at the club next season, he replied: “Yeah.”
The ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added: “I am here, I have a contract.”
The same question came earlier on Monday at a news conference to preview Tuesday’s trip to Bournemouth.
Guardiola was asked about Andoni Iraola’s departure from the Cherries and whether he had thought about his own farewell.
He sighed and said: “Next. So many times – I have one more year.”
He was also asked about the prospect of the North Stand being named after him.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, I have no idea [about] that,” he said.
“They don’t have to do anything, honestly.”
