Liverpool have three reasons to hope Pep Guardiola leaves Man City next summer
Liverpool will be one of the biggest beneficiaries if Pep Guardiola chooses to leave Manchester City next summer rather than stay for another season. The Catalan coach will not replace Gareth Southgate as England manager—Thomas Tuchel has now been named his successor—but that does not mean he will remain at City.
Guardiola, 53, is out of contract in the summer and has yet to decide whether to stay at the club beyond the current campaign. He has spent eight years at the club and is considering staying for another but has yet to extend his deal.
However, whether it is this summer or next, a departure now appears only a matter of time. Here is how that would impact the Reds:
READ MORE: Liverpool 'line up' Mohamed Salah replacement with 77 days until transfer clause activates
READ MORE: Liverpool owners' stance on £5bn takeover as FSG chief speaks out
Title chances immediately increase
The obvious effect of a change of manager at City would be their chances of winning the Premier League decreasing in the following season while simultaneously improving the prospects of their rivals in the process. After winning the title in all but two seasons since Guardiola was appointed manager, the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool would hope his departure helps disrupt that dominance.
City would likely remain favourites depending on how their previous season plays out; however, the upheaval off the pitch, with director of football Txiki Begiristain already on the way out, would help close the gap between them and the other contenders, including the Reds.
Boost to Slot's first trophy hopes
Along similar lines, City's dominance has also extended to domestic cup competitions. They have won half of the available League Cups - and remain in this year's edition - and have won the FA Cup twice, losing last year's final.
If the Reds do not win a trophy this season, their chances of lifting silverware will only rise next season without going up against Guardiola's City. That would also extend to the Champions League, with the club reaching at least the quarter-finals in all but their first season under the Catalan coach, winning it once, two years after losing their first final to Tuchel's Chelsea.
Impact on Alexander-Arnold's future
Trent Alexander-Arnold has spoken about winning trophies as the most important factor in deciding his future at the club. If Guardiola were to announce his decision to leave ahead of time like Jurgen Klopp did in January this year, that could impact his decision to sign a new contract. Alexander-Arnold has won seven pieces of silverware at the club, which would surely be higher had the Catalan coach not been in charge of City, particularly Premier League titles, with the Reds finishing runners-up to them twice.
Guardiola leaving would only be a positive to Alexander-Arnold's hopes of winning trophies again with his boyhood club. The same could also be said for Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, though they have not publicly emphasised the importance of lifting silverware to where they continue to play their football.