Is Carlo Ancelotti the Right Man to Succeed Manuel Pellegrini at Man City?

According to a report by David Anderson in the Mirror, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is Manchester City’s first-choice replacement for Manuel Pellegrini should the club decide to sack the Chilean in the summer.

Ancelotti’s No. 2, Paul Clement, is thought to be considering an opportunity to become Sunderland’s manager and wouldn’t follow the Italian to the Etihad Stadium.

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City's hierarchy are likely to be attracted by Ancelotti’s outstanding European record as they look to make a breakthrough in the Champions League. Their progression since entering the tournament in its current guise in 2011 has been limited to the last 16, and City officials know that becoming a regular in the latter stages is key to increasing the club’s global appeal.

Ancelotti is one of only two managers to have won three European Cups and one of only five to have won the trophy with more than one club. He has also delivered league titles in Italy, England and France. Clearly, he has fantastic pedigree.

He is also a wonderful statesman, the kind of personality the City owners would look for in a manager. Image and reputation are as important to the Abu Dhabi United Group as success, something former manager Roberto Mancini found out to his cost.

Mancini’s abrasive management style saw him clash with key figures at the club. He wasn’t just sacked for his failure to win a trophy in 2013—he was seen as the wrong kind of character to promote City across the world.

Like Pellegrini, Ancelotti is extremely well liked by those who have played for him. He is known as a great man manager, the kind who maximises the talent of the players he has at his disposal, as well as an excellent media operator. He’s not only a hugely successful coach—he’s a respected leader, too.

If it’s a short-term impact the club want, Ancelotti is their man.

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However, given the desire the club has to set in motion a long-term “holistic” strategy, involving the integration of academy players and a vision of playing the same style of football across all levels, would Ancelotti be the right man?

Since leaving AC Milan in 2009, where he had spent eight years, his managerial stints have tended to be short. Two years at Chelsea, two years at Paris Saint-Germain, and if he were to leave the Bernabeu this summer, two years at Real Madrid is all he's achieved. He's had success in each post, but longevity is seemingly not part of the package.

Txiki Begiristain, the club’s sporting director, and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the chairman, will surely want the next appointment to be a long-term one—a younger manager capable of realising the club's future ambitions. They want a manager to oversee all aspects of the club, from youth development to a first-team style of football that's attractive and becomes a permanent part of the club's culture.

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With that in mind, this summer would appear to be the wrong time for City to make a managerial change.

The pool of managers capable of replacing Pellegrini and providing an upgrade isn't exactly overflowing, and it becomes even more shallow when one considers Pep Guardiola, the Bayern Munich manager who surely tops the club’s list of potential targets, and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone, someone the club are unlikely to be interested in on account of his tempestuous personality, are both seeing out contracts and aren't contemplating a move just yet.

Jurgen Klopp, the highly regarded Borussia Dortmund manager, also appears to be unavailable, as does Frank de Boer, the Ajax coach. Where that would leave City if they terminate Pellegrini’s contract is anyone’s guess.

Rafa Benitez, who would surely jump at the chance to return to England with City, would be a hugely unpopular and underwhelming choice should he be brought in from Napoli.

Patrick Vieira, City's Elite Development Squad manager, remains the interesting choice, but without any first-team managerial experience, even as a No. 2, it may be too soon for the Frenchman.

And Pellegrini, it could easily be argued, deserves a third year at the Etihad. His first was a breathtaking mix of wonderful attacking football and success. More than 100 goals were scored, two major trophies were secured and a freedom and beauty to the team’s play was implemented—he simply hasn’t received the due credit for his debut campaign.

His side’s regression this year is clear, but one season without a trophy is hardly cause for major—and potentially damaging—upheaval.

Surely it makes sense for the club to allow him to see out his contract before making a decision on a successor. The summer of 2016 looks a far more fruitful period to consider a managerial change anyway.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.