With Txiki Begiristain stepping down as sporting director at the end of the season and Pep Guardiola remaining silent about his future, Manchester City is starting to see the cracks in what has been the best era in its history.

The looming cloud over Manchester, caused by the 115 financial charges against the club, is already claiming its first victims. Omar Berrada was the first to leave, switching from Chief Operating Officer at City to CEO at Manchester United this season, and now Begiristain has followed him out the door.

Begiristain joined City in 2012, four years before Guardiola, and has been a key figure in the club’s transfer policy. Before that, he spent seven years at Barcelona before leaving in 2010. Under his watch, City brought in stars like Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gündogan, and Rodrigo Hernández, building a solid transfer strategy—something that, for example, Manchester United lacked for nearly a decade without a sporting director.

Begiristain's departure might be the final nudge for Guardiola to also walk away after nine years at the club. The Spanish coach has won it all, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first-ever Champions League, and it seems like there’s not much left for him to conquer in Manchester, especially after winning four consecutive league titles—something no one had done in the history of the competition.

Guardiola has never hidden his desire to coach a national team, and this might be the perfect moment for him to take over England. The English FA has been searching for a new manager since Gareth Southgate stepped down after the Euros, with Lee Carsley, former U21 coach, currently acting as interim head coach.

Carsley has already led the team to two wins, against Finland and the Republic of Ireland, and will remain in charge for at least four more games before the year ends. Guardiola’s potential move could see him wait until Carsley stays on until next summer, and once Guardiola’s contract with City expires on June 30, he could take charge of the Three Lions.

Unlike his time in Spain, where he clashed with the press, Guardiola enjoys a quieter media presence in England, and he’d have a full year to prepare for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada. With Begiristain gone and Guardiola possibly following, the third key figure in City’s success is Ferrán Soriano, who joined as CEO in September 2012 and has overseen the financial growth of the club.

Despite City’s legal victory over the Premier League concerning affiliated companies' rules, the real battle for the Sky Blues is the 115 financial charges they were hit with in February 2023. The trial, which started in London over two weeks ago, could result in penalties ranging from financial fines to point deductions or even relegation if City is found guilty. Such a scenario would likely trigger mass departures, both in the boardroom and on the field.