FA 'to pursue Guardiola' should Southgate quit England post
The current Three Lions boss is rumoured to be considering quitting England after the European Championships in Germany next summer.
As reported by the Daily Mail, England's footballing body is keen to sound out Guardiola as a replacement for the World Cup in 2026 and beyond.
It's understood the FA's technical director John McDermott met with colleagues to discuss potential successors to Southgate prior to the World Cup in Qatar, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter topping the list of candidates at the time.
However, Howe's position at Newcastle is currently more than secure, while Potter's miserable stint at Chelsea has made him less desirable at this moment in time.
Other names such as Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers were also considered but have since taken up new roles at Chelsea and Celtic respectively.
Southgate's contract is due to expire at the end of next year, while Guardiola's deal with Manchester City ends in 2025.
Three Lions boss Southgate is currently preparing England for their upcoming matches - first a Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine on Saturday before a friendly against old rivals Scotland on September 12th.
England will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish for the fixtures, both of whom withdrew from the squad at the start of the week due to injury.
England are comfortably top of their qualifying group having amassed a maximum of 12 points from their opening four matches.