Pep Guardiola Emerges as Shock Candidate for Argentina Job With Jorge Sampaoli's Future Unclear

Argentina are reportedly lining up a shock move for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to take over from Jorge Sampaoli as the next national team coach. The Spaniard has previously admitted that he would one day like to manage the country, but the timing of such a move would certianly be questioned.

Guardiola and Sampaoli are two men that have been through vastly different experiences over the last few months. As the former Barcelona boss has gone on to break Premier League records, the current Argentina manager has faced a torrid World Cup, during which he faced a player mutiny.

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It seems as though Sampaoli's reign is over in his home nation - be it through his own decision to walk, or the AFA's.

And now, according to The Sun, they've already lined up his potential replacements - and Guardiola tops the list.

Whether the Man City boss will leave is a different matter entirely. His first Premier League title at the end of last season is supposed to have marked the beginning of his dominance of England, and leaving in the coming weeks would make little sense.

As well as that, Man City would demand a huge compensation package for their man, not to mention the amount it would cost to boot Sampaoli from his own contract. Guardiola would be a heavy investment from Argentina.

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Should they fail in their attempts, though, the AFA have a contingency plan. Second in the list is Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone, and he's followed by the likes of Peru coach Ricardo Gareca and River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo.