Pep Guardiola has reportedly emerged as the Football Association's number one target to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager should the current boss depart after Euro 2024.
There were murmurings that Southgate could have left his role as national team boss after the 2022 World Cup, but he opted to stay on and has led England to four wins from four in qualifying for next summer's European Championships.
Guardiola's current contract runs until 2025, meaning that they would need to pay Man City off if they were to lure him any time prior to that.
However, the Daily Mail claims that some officials within the FA are exploring an opportunity to offer Guardiola the role, seeing him as the dream candidate.
Guardiola has conquered club football over the past 15 years, with three Champions League titles and multiple league successes in La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga.
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However, should he want to venture into international football, his open support of Catalan independence could be a barrier of entry to the Spanish national team job.
Guardiola would become just the third-ever foreign coach to manage England, and the first since Fabio Capello, who left in 2012.
Another foreign manager, current England women's boss Sarina Wiegman, has also been touted as a potential Southgate replacement in recent weeks.
When rumours surfaced that Southgate may leave after the Qatar World Cup, Eddie Howe and Graham Potter emerged as the possible replacements, as well as the non-English pair of Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio Pochettino.
After not being offered any high-profile jobs though, Southgate opted to stay on with the Three Lions until Euro 2024 at least.
The England boss could even stick it out until the 2026 World Cup, but contingency plans may need to be put in place should he depart - something which may happen if England become European champions, or if they drastically underperform.
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After numerous unsuccessful major tournament appearances between 2010 and 2016, England have regularly reached the latter stages under Southgate.
A late defeat to Croatia in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup saw them come up just short of their first final since 1966.
England went one further in Euro 2020, reaching the final but once again could not get over the line, losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley.
The 2022 World Cup saw a slight regression as they were conquered by France in the quarter-finals, despite breezing through the competition with big wins over Iran, Wales and Senegal.
England face Ukraine in their only Euro qualifier of the September international break on Saturday, knowing that a win will all but seal their place at the finals next summer, after a 100% start.
Andrew Delaney
