Manchester City are close to reaching a financial settlement with Chelsea that will enable them to appoint Enzo Maresca as their manager. Chelsea are demanding compensation from City to release Maresca, claiming they have evidence the Italian breached his contract by talking to City while still at Stamford Bridge last season.
It has been widely reported that Maresca informed Chelsea he had been approached by City and Napoli last winter, leading to his surprise resignation on New Year's Day. Chelsea believe they deserve compensation for the loss of Maresca, whose departure destabilised a season that ended with them finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing European qualification.
The club paid Leicester £8m in compensation to secure Maresca two years ago, and in January made another multimillion-pound payment to Strasbourg for Liam Rosenior. Chelsea sources indicate they have sufficient evidence to report City to the Premier League for an illegal approach but have no plans to do so, continuing negotiations instead.
A financial settlement worth more than £10m to Chelsea is thought likely, with negotiations over finer details ongoing. City do not return for pre-season training until mid-July, giving time to resolve the matter, though Maresca is eager to start work as soon as possible.
