Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has dropped a hint over who could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Guardiola's contract at the Etihad Stadium expires at the end of the 2024/25 campaign with the former Barcelona boss non-committal over his plans to renew.
The 53-year-old has won four successive Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, but he is yet to make a firm move on his future, as the club await a decision on the case against them for 115 charges of alleged financial rule breaches.
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Guardiola has insisted the outcome of that seismic case will not influence his thinking over his next move, although City are already reportedly looking at options for 2025 onwards.
Despite the ongoing speculation over Erik ten Hag remaining in place at Old Trafford, Fernandes dropped a hint on his old Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, who is the bookmakers' favourite to replace Guardiola on the blue side of Manchester after Hugo Viana's 2025 move from the Lisbon club to take over as City's director of football was confirmed.
"Since Mr Amorim arrived at Sporting they've been one of the teams to play the best football," Fernandes said in an interview with CNN Portugal.
"They have been consistent, the signings have been right, and they are in a very good moment. It's a very well-prepared team.
"In relation to Amorim, it shows at this moment he's prepared. Coaching Sporting and winning championships is not easy, the club went 20 years without a winning championship. Amorim arrived and has already won two. This shows the work he's done.
"If he could manage to do the same in England, Spain or anywhere else... you never know until you get there but his qualities are there for everyone to see."
Amorim was heavily linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool last summer before Arne Alot made the move to Anfield.
His current deal in Lisbon runs until 2026, meaning City would have to pay a compensation fee to break the 39-year-old's contract in the Portuguese capital.
