Pep Guardiola is set to appoint Juanma Lillo as his new assistant as he plans for the future at Manchester City.
The Catalan worked under Lillo in his final year as a player with Dorados in Mexico.
He has always considered the 54-year-old one of the greatest minds in football – and made a point of playing under him in a bid to further his own education as a budding coach.
Lillo has left his latest post as head coach of Qingdao Huanghai in China and is understood to be on his way to Etihad, barring any late hitches.
Guardiola has taken his time in finding a successor for Mikel Arteta, who left to take charge of Arsenal in December.
Rodolfo Borrell has taken up the role on an interim basis, allowing City’s manager to scour the globe for a permanent appointment.
Xabi Alonso and Vincent Kompany were both linked with the job before Guardiola set his sights on Lillo.
Guardiola is entering the final year of his contract and has always maintained he will see out his deal at the Etihad, despite consistently being linked with a move away.
City would like to see him extend his stay – and the imminent appointment of Lillo points to longer-term thinking from the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, who has not ruled out the possibility of a new contract.
