England legend Stuart Pearce believes that history will repeat itself if and when Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City.The 55-year-old’s current deal at the Etihad expires in 2027, however, reports this week suggest that the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss may walk away at the end of the season.Guardiola guided City to the 2023 Champions League title as part of a historic trebleGettyGuardiola has overseen unprecedented success during his ten years in charge of the Manchester giants – winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and one Champions League triumph.talkSPORT understands that City have formally asked Guardiola whether he plans to see out is contract at the club.Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is one candidate to take over at City should Guardiola leave, while Xabi Alonso, former captain Vincent Kompany and Cesc Fabregas have also been linked with a move to England.Speaking with talkSPORT Drive host Andy Goldstein on Thursday, ex-Nottingham Forest left-back Pearce believes that history suggests City will falter when Guardiola leaves.Pearce pointed to Arsenal, Manchester United and Forest’s, and to a lesser extent Liverpool‘s, struggles when iconic managers departed their respective clubs.“The most important person at Manchester City Football Club, and has been for a number of years, is the manager,” Pearce enthused.“He’s that good. He’s arguably the best we’ve seen in world football. You’d want to secure him.”Pearce then highlighted previous dynasties that crumbled when managers walked away from jobs.Guardiola is yet to inform City whether he intends to leave at the end of the season or see out his contractHe is regarded as one of the greatest managers in historyManchester City Football Club“We saw [Sir] Alex Ferguson leave Man United [after winning title in 2023], they haven’t won the league since. [Jurgen] Klopp leaving Liverpool as well, won the league, but there’s been a downturn, potentially,” Pearce continued.“After Wenger left [Arsenal in 2018] there’s a big drop off,” Goldstein said.To which Pearce remarked: “Brian Clough at Forest. Exactly, Wenger. These are icons of the game.“I’m quite saddened when any of these managers, even when they’re not my team, I’m saddened when they actually walk out.“If you’re Man City now, the one thing you’ve got to do, is either secure him on a longer-term contract, that’s first priority.“If not, establish when he decides to leave, and he calls that shot, and make sure you’ve got a replacement.”The Spaniard may yet leave Man City at the end of the seasonPep talkGoldstein then put forward a question to the former City boss, asking: “What do you do? He’s obviously earned the right to make up his mind whenever he wants.“He’s always had, from what I understand at Man City, short-term contracts. That’s what he’s happier with. Has he not earned the right to tell them when he’s made his mind up?“What happens if they say ‘Pep, we need to know now’ and he says ‘I just don’t know’ – What happens then?”To which Pearce replied: “If you’re the football club, you can’t do a great deal about that. The club, at this stage, if not, before now, have to ask the question of the manager, ‘What is your viewpoint?’“We’ve been speculating on this radio show, I think, for at least the last three years whether he’s going to go.“I just think you’ve got to do everything you can as a football club to secure him and his signature.Guardiola has ensured he won’t finish this season without silverware after City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup finalShutterstock Editorial“[It] Doesn’t mean a great deal. He could sign a longer-term contract and still say, ‘You know what? I’ve had enough. I’m going.’“The length of the contract is irrelevant, but he’s earned the right, but also the club have earned the right, as well, to ask the question of him.”Goldstein also touched upon the change in football that came about under Guardiola, with midfielders and strikers seemingly afraid to get shots away from range in favour of control.The talkSPORT presenter asked Pearce if Guardiola were to leave, whether the style would return with players more willing to chance their luck from distance.“I think, in some ways, it is a little bit in regards to long throw-ins coming back into the game. More direct play,” Pearce replied.“If we had done this at Nottingham Forest, the ball’s on the centre spot, you’re taking kick off, you kick it out of play to the corner flag, Brian Clough would probably substitute you if you’d done that and thought it was a good idea to play for territory.Brentford star Michael Kayode has proven a long thrown expert this seasonGetty“Teams do it now. I’d have said that’s unbelievable. We did that with Graham Taylor in 1991.“We played away in Turkey and he asked Andy Gray, the Crystal Palace midfield player, ‘We’re going to kick off, and you’re going to kick it out of play in the corner flag.’“People think that these are new inventions in the game. The England team did it in 1991.“What goes round in the game goes round but I’ll tell you one thing. I remember leaving Manchester City one night, they’d played Real Madrid, I think it was a semi-final, and I’d never, ever seen football played like I saw that night.“It was incredible, and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, he’s responsible for that. He’s responsible, not just for results, but a style of play that was so incredible,’ it wowed me.“I don’t think I’ve ever walked out of a stadium and thought, ‘That spectacle was incredible.’Pep Guardiola's Manchester City honoursPremier League x6 – 2017/18, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24FA Cup x2 – 2018/19, 2022/23League Cup x5 – 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2025/26Champions League x1 – 2022/23Community Shield x3 – 2018, 2019, 2024FIFA Club World Cup x1 – 2023UEFA Super Cup x1 – 2023City return to domestic duties on Saturday afternoon when they take on Liverpool in the quarter-final of the FA Cup – live on talkSPORT.The Citizens are looking to land further success in what may be Guardiola’s final season in charge having won the Carabao Cup prior to the international break.Nico O’Reilly’s quickfire second half double saw City down Premier League leaders Arsenal to land the first piece of domestic silverware of the campaign.1: Premier League Fixtures & Results