Manchester City are edging closer to the start of a new chapter following the departure of Pep Guardiola, with former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca poised to take charge at the Etihad Stadium.
Reports from Italy indicate that the Premier League club have reached a verbal agreement with the 46-year-old, who is expected to become Guardiola’s successor.
According to Sky in Italy, City are prepared to pay Chelsea in excess of £17m (€20m) in compensation to secure Maresca’s services.
The Italian is also expected to travel to Manchester within the next 24 hours to finalise a three-year contract.
Neither Manchester City nor Chelsea have publicly commented on the reports.
The appointment would represent a significant return for Maresca, who is already familiar with the inner workings of the club.
Before establishing himself as a first-team manager, he spent time working under Guardiola and also enjoyed success with City’s academy structure.
Maresca has been without a managerial role since leaving Chelsea by mutual agreement on New Year’s Day.
Despite his departure midway through the season, his achievements at Stamford Bridge ensured his reputation remained strong across European football.
During his only full campaign in charge, he guided Chelsea to UEFA Conference League glory and also lifted the Club World Cup.Â
At the time of his exit, the London club occupied fifth place in the Premier League standings. Their eventual 10th-place finish highlighted the impact he had made before leaving.
City’s pursuit of Maresca suggests the club’s hierarchy are determined to maintain the footballing philosophy that has defined their modern era.
His previous experience within the organisation, coupled with his tactical similarities to Guardiola, make him a natural candidate to oversee the next phase of the club’s development.
His connection with City extends beyond his spell as assistant coach. In the 2020-21 season, he led the club’s Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title, earning praise for his coaching methods and ability to develop young talent.
Chelsea exit and City’s long-term vision
Despite the success achieved on the pitch, Maresca’s time at Chelsea was not without complications.
Reports suggested disagreements behind the scenes contributed to his departure, even as results remained largely positive.
The circumstances surrounding City’s interest have also attracted attention, particularly because Chelsea believed contact regarding the managerial vacancy may have taken place while Maresca was still employed at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking about the situation, journalist Kaveh Solhekol said:
“Maresca isn’t the Chelsea manager and he hasn’t been since the start of the year. When he walked out of Chelsea, he still had three and a half years on his contract.
“Chelsea believed he was contacted about the City job in the autumn of 2025 and that had a negative impact on their season, and that is why Chelsea have been involved.
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“The news has not been confirmed by Man City or Chelsea. We do expect Maresca to become the City manager pretty quickly.
“I think he is the outstanding candidate to take over from Pep Guardiola. He has worked at City before and was an assistant on his staff when they won the treble.
“It is a tough act to follow, and I don’t think Enzo Maresca is going to achieve what Guardiola achieved, but he has clear principles, which are aligned with how City want to operate and play.
“It was a risk for Chelsea to appoint him. He had not managed in the Premier League and was with Leicester City. But his time at Chelsea was a success. He got them back into the Champions League, won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
“But there were problems behind the scenes; he didn’t see eye to eye with the leadership team. Issues were bubbling away.”
Should the deal be completed as expected, Manchester City will enter a new era under a coach who already understands the club’s culture, expectations and footballing identity.
