Manchester City have reportedly identified Hugo Viana as the long-term successor to Txiki Begiristain, who will step down from his role as director of football at the end of the 2024-2025 season. Begiristain, who has held the position since 2012, has been instrumental in City’s success, overseeing key signings and helping shape the club’s dominant position in English football. However, he has long expressed a desire to reduce his day-to-day involvement in football, prompting Manchester City to plan for a future without him.
Viana, the current director of football at Sporting CP, is expected to finalize an agreement with Manchester City before the two clubs meet in the UEFA Champions League next month. He will begin his duties at the Etihad in early 2025 and will officially take over from Begiristain at the start of the summer transfer window.
Viana has a strong track record in recruitment at Sporting CP, having made significant deals since taking on the role in 2018. One of his first major acts was selling Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United for an initial €55 million, plus €25 million in add-ons, in 2020. Viana’s time at Sporting has been marked by a combination of notable signings and big-money departures. In the 2021 summer transfer window, he secured the acquisition of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte for €6.5 million, while in 2023, he oversaw nine arrivals and 17 departures, including the sale of Nuno Mendes to PSG for €38 million, Joao Palhinha to Fulham for €20 million, and Matheus Nunes to Wolves for €45 million.
The 2024 summer window saw Viana continue his trend of profitable sales, including the departure of Ugarte to PSG for €60 million and Pedro Porro to Tottenham for €40 million. Despite a quieter final window in charge, where Sporting signed goalkeeper Vladan Kovačević and sold Abdul Fatawu to Leicester for €17 million, Viana’s record of recruitment and sales positions him as a strong candidate to take over at Manchester City.
