The long-term future of Manchester City looks uncertain at the minute. Their two-year Champions League ban could see some players look for a transfer away from the club, while Pep Guardiola could also be on his way out before too long.
The Spaniard's intense methods mean he never stays at one team for too long, with this being his fourth season at the Etihad. It would not be a major surprise to see him leave the club over the next 12 months or so.
The question would then be, who would replace him? City structured the club in a manner that was tailor-made for Guardiola, meaning it could be difficult for someone to step in and take his place.
One name that has been mentioned as a possible replacement is Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The Dutchman spent an extended period of time at the club shadowing Guardiola last year. Currently the manager of Chinese side Guangzhou R&F, it is believed the City owners see him as the ideal replacement should their current boss decide to move on.
Speaking to Sky Sports, van Brockhorst said he learned a lot during his time in Manchester and admitted he does hold an ambition to manage in the Premier League:
Last year I spent five months with the City group and a lot of time in Manchester with Pep. He was very open. He talked about the training sessions and I could watch and see everything and talk with his staff.
Those are moments you can see him really in action and he is a very special coach. Those months with him in Manchester I could see a lot of things I didn't see before and it helped to develop me as a coach.
Pep is a coach at the moment who is influencing a lot of young coaches. And he's not the only one, Jurgen Klopp is doing a great job at Liverpool...
At the moment I'm enjoying my work in China.
But as a player I had ambition and as a coach I have ambition. The Premier League for me is the number one league in the world to be working at and, for me, it is definitely an ambition to work in.
I always said if I could coach the teams I played for it would be a big dream.
Van Bronckhorst previously spent four years in charge of Feyenoord from 2015-2019, leading the club to their first league title in 18 years back in 2017.
