The worst kept secret in football was finally made public on Friday when Manchester City confirmed Sunday’s final day clash at home to Aston Villa will be Pep Guardiola’s last game in charge.talkSPORT understands Enzo Maresca will be the man to replace the trophy-laden Spaniard, but what does he need to do to bring the Premier League title back to the Etihad?Maresca will take over from his former coaching sensei in GuardiolaGettyReboot their midfieldOne of the main reasons that Guardiola is bowing out without another league winners’ medal around his neck is Rodri’s struggle to hit top form in the wake of knee surgery.The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was the heartbeat of the team that won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.However, he has simply not been the same force since returning from a devastating ACL injury.With Real Madrid sniffing around Rodri, it could be the time for City to cash in. They are already in advanced talks with Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.Maresca is also a big fan of Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez, who has made noises he would be open to a move from Stamford Bridge so do not rule out a reunion in Manchester.Bring Cole Palmer homeAnother Chelsea player rumoured to be unsettled in west London is Cole Palmer.Those claims are based around the fact Palmer reportedly misses living in the north West.While Palmer laughed off suggestions he was hankering for a move to Manchester United, he is a graduate of City’s youth academy and worked under Maresca at the Etihad before the Italian took over at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea sources have made it clear they have no plans to sell Palmer but missing out on a place in the Champions League could leave them in a vulnerable position.Palmer was left out of the England squad for the World Cup after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign. But he would be an upgrade on Omar Marmoush in behind Erling Haaland.Marmoush has only made eight starts this season for Man CityAFPGet Phil Foden back to his bestThe fact Foden’s omission from England’s World Cup squad was neither a surprise nor major talking point tells you how far he has fallenFoden has been no more than a bit-part player for City this season and his impact on the team has been limited.Guardiola has never lost faith in someone he sees as a son and was the driving force behind Foden being handed a new long-term contract despite his drop off in performances.Maybe a change of manager and new voice in the dressing room can be the spark Foden needs to catch alight again.He is still only 25 so has plenty of football left in him.Build the team around Nico O’ReillyEven if the title has evaded them for the past two seasons, Maresca will be inheriting a team with some seriously good players.Nico O’Reilly was named in Tuchel’s 26-man squad for the World CupGettyHaaland is a goal-scoring freak, Antoine Semenyo has been a revelation since joining from Bournemouth in January and Marc Guehi, another mid-season arrival, will only get better.But City’s standout player this season has been one of their own in Nico O’Reilly.Whether in midfield or at left-back, the 21-year-old has been a revelation and will be one of the first names on England’s team sheet this summer.Maresca’s ideology is built around having full-backs who can invert into midfield like Reece James and Marc Cucurella at Chelsea.In that sense O’Reilly is pretty much his dream player so I would expect another big season for the hometown hero.Be better managing upFor all his qualities as a coach, Maresca’s volatility has caused him issues at both Chelsea and Leicester.His abrupt departure from Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day came after he had publicly called out the owners’ interference.Chelsea putting a club doctor on the bench to make sure he managed players’ minutes properly would have proved the last straw for most managers.However, Maresca also publicly expressed his frustration with the Leicester hierarchy over their financial restrictions.Ensuring a more harmonious relationship with City sporting director Hugo Viana and his paymasters, something Pep did very well, would seem a wise idea to ensure this is not another fleeting appointment.