Manchester City’s Football Administration Officer Brian Marwood has confirmed that Patrick Vieira has been earmarked as Manuel Pellegrini’s successor.
The former Gunners midfield general had previously been in charge of the club’s elite development squad since 2013, but has moved to take up his first senior coaching role with New York City FC.
Having signed a three-year deal with the MLS outfit, the Frenchman will hope to build up some experience as he looks to return to England in the future to make a name for himself on the bench after a glittering playing career.
Given his ties to City, Vieira has always been mooted as a possible future coach at the Etihad, and Marwood has confirmed that there is an intention to appoint the Frenchman as coach somewhere down the line.
“It was important that we could find the next development stage for Patrick and it was still part of the group. That opportunity came about in New York. We are really excited, he is really excited by it and I think it is exactly the next step he needs,” Marwood told told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully, at some point, he’ll come back and manage Manchester City, That’s the ambition for him and that’s the ambition for us. But he has to go through this learning curve.”
Marwood was keen to insist that that is no reflection on Pellegrini who he hopes continues to bring success to the club, although it remains to be seen whether or not the Chilean boss is still in charge when the time is right for Vieira to return and take up the reins.