Manchester City eyes Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann as Pep Guardiola replacement

It might not be today, tomorrow or next week but be sure it is approaching. At some point soon, Pep Guardiola will have to make a firm decision on his Manchester City future.

The decision is his and his alone. City would happily allow Guardiola, the most decorated manager in their history, to stay beyond the next eight months. Obviously they would. But the autonomy afforded him makes this situation, continuing to bubble under, delicate.

Guardiola claimed his contract will not impact on performances but some of the squad have been left wondering who they will be playing under next season. The clocks have gone back, winter is drawing near, and nobody in the City Football Academy offices is any the wiser whether Guardiola will be in charge next summer.

If he does not plan to stick around — and nobody would blame the Catalan for that after five years in a hugely demanding job — then the club need to press ahead with sorting a successor.

Only two men really spring to mind. Mauricio Pochettino, a name that has done the rounds since his sacking by Tottenham. And RB Leipzig's 33-year-old Julian Nagelsmann, whose reputation is soaring and is at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday. City like the look of both. They will not be the only club in Europe who do.

So time might be of the essence, even if City are only five games into this Premier League season that has started shakily. In fact, it's their worst start since 2014.