Manchester City: Pep Guardiola’s succession plan and rebuilding the team

Siminho and Guehi entered the negotiations with their eyes wide open.

Both had the Premier League’s elite to choose from last month.

Semenho was a target for Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. Liverpool also had an interest in the 26-year-old, who had a £65m release clause at Bournemouth. He prioritized moving to the city.

Guehi was more widely admired. After his contract with Crystal Palace expires at the end of this season, the England defender has had suitors across Europe.

Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid have shown serious interest in signing him on a free transfer at the end of the season, while Real Madrid and Barcelona were also in the running. Liverpool’s interest has been well documented. Arsenal and Tottenham also tried to convince him to agree to a move to London this summer.

Guehi chose the city.

It is inconceivable that either player would decide to sign a long-term contract without knowing that he would likely spend most of that time under a manager who is not Guardiola.

Of course, the opportunity to work with him – even if it is for six months – is an opportunity that most players do not get. But that alone is unlikely to be enough to force Semenyu and Guehi to sign five-and-a-half-year deals.

City can no longer rely too heavily on the idea of ​​their players thriving under Guardiola.

According to sources, executives at rival clubs have used the emerging narrative around the managerial situation to persuade players to ignore the progress the Blues have made – as if to suggest their success will diminish once Guardiola is gone.

However, and certainly for Semenho and Djohi, City’s stadium remains among the most competitive, despite the uncertainty around Guardiola.

There is no escaping the fact that they are one of the best players in Europe, and it would be disingenuous to suggest that finances were not a big factor in the two new signings.

However, it is understood that Tottenham’s offer for Semenyu was the most lucrative they have received in the past month.

Indeed, sources close to both transfers say it was City who showed they had offered a virtual guarantee of contention for the biggest trophies and continued Champions League qualification that proved pivotal in the decision-making process.

Their modern infrastructure and ambitions off the pitch are key features of their plan for new players, but ultimately it is focused on success on the pitch.

They are teasing the potential signings of the world-class squad already assembled, as well as their commitment to continuing to recruit elite players.

Their strategy of extending the contracts of their best talents in search of continuity and stability also features prominently at their home stadium – with striker Erling Haaland signed on a 10-year contract last year a case in point.

But City’s body of work under their ownership in Abu Dhabi – even before Guardiola’s arrival – is the truly unique selling point for potential signings.

The awards speak for themselves.

This does not mean that there are not some doubts. The fallout from City’s long legal battle over the 115 much-documented charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules is weighing heavily on the Etihad. The club strongly denies any wrongdoing.

The outcome of the case will have a huge impact, and any punishment could change the landscape of English football and the history of City.

While no one knows where this case has gone, the rebuilding the city has undertaken over the past year suggests they are not effectively preparing for the worst.

Regardless of what lies ahead in that regard, they will continue to set up their football operation for success after Guardiola’s departure.

For those at City, the arrivals of Semenho and Guehi have provided tangible evidence that their recruitment processes are not reliant on hiring Guardiola.