Manchester City are closing in on appointing Enzo Maresca as their next manager, with lawyers now handling compensation negotiations with Chelsea. The Italian coach left Chelsea in January and is poised to succeed Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.
Compensation Talks Underway
City remain confident of reaching an agreement with Chelsea, who sacked Maresca earlier this year. The 46-year-old has made clear his desire to take the role, and Chelsea were informed last autumn that Maresca had been approached by City about eventually replacing Guardiola. This contributed to his acrimonious departure from Stamford Bridge.
Sky Sports understands that negotiations are ongoing, with legal teams finalising the details. A resolution is expected within the week.
Maresca's City Connections
Maresca is well known at City, having served as Guardiola's assistant during the treble-winning 2022/23 campaign. He previously worked in the club's academy before joining the first-team staff. He left City in 2023 to take his first solo managerial role at Leicester City, guiding them to the Championship title at the first attempt.
His success at Leicester earned him the Chelsea job, where he delivered Champions League football and two trophies. Guardiola recently praised Maresca, calling him "one of the best managers in the world" and saying his work at Chelsea did not receive enough credit.
Guardiola's Legacy
Guardiola leaves City as their greatest ever manager, having begun transitioning the squad to ensure his successor inherits a title-contending team. In the past 12 months, City have signed Rayan Cherki, Marc Guehi, and Antoine Semenyo.
In his farewell speech, Guardiola said he would contact his successor and urge him to follow his own ideas: "Be yourself, the club will support you unconditionally. You will be protected in bad moments, more than any other club, and be free in your ideas."
