Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday put a huge dent in their bid to win a third consecutive Premier League title and led to increased speculation as to whether this could be Pep Guardiola’s final season as manager at the Etihad Stadium.



The clear message from Guardiola and City remains that he is going nowhere and would be open to the idea of extending a contract which expires in 2021, but there are sources who hold a growing belief that the Catalan will depart, especially if he wins the Champions League.



Whatever happens, City are forward planning — this column previously reported a sense in the game that for the first time the club are preparing for life with or without Guardiola — and The Athletic is aware of a position they have been looking to fill that may raise further questions.



It is understood that candidates have been approached about a high-performance role and it was made clear during those...