Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is widely expected to become the next Manchester City boss, but ongoing negotiations over compensation for the Blues are holding up the process
Chelsea are currently in compensation talks with Manchester City, as the Cityzens look to appoint Enzo Maresca. football.london understands the Blues’ and City’s lawyers are currently in ongoing negotiations.
Their discussions are centred around Maresca’s exit in January, when he departed Stamford Bridge with three-and-a-half years left on his deal. City are hoping to wrap up an agreement by the end of the week.
Last autumn, Maresca informed Chelsea officials he had been in talks with City about the prospect of becoming Pep Guardiola’s successor. At the time, Guardiola was still the manager of City and had not decided when he was going to leave the club.
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Maresca would go on to be sacked by Chelsea on New Years Day after a draw at home with Bournemouth meant the west Londoners had only picked up one win in seven Premier League matches.
Fast forward to the present day, City are confident they can finalise a deal for the ex-Leicester City manager. Discussions are currently centred on the timeline of his appointment, his backroom staff and other small details.
Almost a year since he first made Chelsea aware about his discussions with City, Maresca looks set to inherit Guardiola’s throne. It will be a full circle moment for the Italian, who was the Catalan’s assistant coach when City won the treble in the 2022-23 campaign.
In his final campaign in charge at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola beat Arsenal to win the League Cup and overcame Chelsea in the FA Cup final, while finishing seven points behind the Gunners in the Premier League.
Should a deal be completed, Maresca will enter City as a Europa Conference League winner and World Club Cup champion. Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson recently told Sky Sports he feels Maresca is the ideal person to take over from Guardiola.
He said: “I liked him at Chelsea. I thought he was a good manager. He’s going into Man City, he’s been there before, he’s worked in the Premier League before. He knows some of the players at City. I think he ticks every box.
“He’s not coming in trying to get used to the place, he’s not coming into a league that he’s never been in. I think he’ll go in and settle quite nicely.
“They’ll need a few players as well. But this is the problem: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea all need players. There’s not that many players around. Who’s going to be able to produce and give the most money to these players?”
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