It Feels Like the End: Cult Manchester City Star Senses Pep Guardiola Exit Looming at Etihad

Wayne Bridge, the former left-back whose 2009 switch from Chelsea to Manchester City proved one of the more eye-catching transfers of the era, believes the curtain could soon fall on Pep Guardiola’s decade-long reign at the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking exclusively to 10bet, the 45-year-old cult figure—who made 42 Premier League appearances for City before departing for Reading via a succession of loan spells—admitted the mood around the club increasingly points to a farewell.

“It kind of does feel like Pep Guardiola’s last season in charge of City, but with Pep you never really know,” Bridge said. “It does feel like it could be, but you just never know—perhaps he’s thinking about something else in the future. He has been managing Manchester City for a long time—almost a decade with the club. I think it’s one to watch for the rest of the season and see what happens.”

Guardiola, who arrived in 2016 after trophy-laden spells at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, has collected six Premier League titles and transformed City into a domestic powerhouse. Yet Tuesday’s Champions League elimination by Real Madrid, sealed by a 5-1 aggregate defeat, has intensified speculation that the Catalan coach may choose to depart on his own terms rather than oversee a prolonged rebuild.

City trail Arsenal by nine points in the league but remain in contention for a domestic cup double, beginning with Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against the Gunners at Wembley. Bridge insists any suggestion of decline is premature.

“He’s definitely not leaving behind a dying team,” Bridge stressed. “If anything, he’s building a team that will probably progress next season with new signings and changes. I’d love to see him stay for another season at least just to watch this group of players develop and see what they do next season. I’d love to see him stay because I think this team is only going to get better.”

Guardiola has previously hinted that he would not remain in Manchester indefinitely, and Bridge’s assessment underscores the uncertainty swirling around the blue half of the city. For supporters who have grown accustomed to relentless success, the prospect of life after Pep is beginning to feel less like a distant hypothetical and more like an imminent reality.