Chelsea have reportedly made Enzo Maresca their top managerial target, with the Blues closing in on a deal for the current Leicester City boss.
Talks were held with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, but he is now said to be out of the running. Thomas Frank of Brentford is another option that Chelsea are supposedly willing to consider, with the Dane potentially being lured across west London.
The Telegraph is, however, reporting that Maresca has leapt to the front of the queue. The Italian, who has previously worked as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, guided Leicester to the Championship title in 2023-24.
🔵🇮🇹 Understand Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are set to agree on contract terms.
Two year deal with option for further season or three year deal, this is final detail being clarified.
Maresca already said yes to Chelsea project, up to the clubs now to agree on compensation. pic.twitter.com/YXR5b2xj71
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 27, 2024
Chelsea are said to have formally requested permission to approach Maresca, having been left impressed by initial discussions, and a deal could soon be pushed through that sees the 44-year-old take on the challenge on delivering on expectations for big-spending owners at the Bridge.
The Premier League heavyweights are in the market for a new coach after severing ties with Mauricio Pochettino. The Blues are looking at younger tacticians, with attention turned towards those that have just savoured promotion out of the Championship.
More about Enzo Maresca
After starting out at West Bromwich Albion in 1998, he went on to play for several clubs in his country, including Juventus, who loaned him twice for the duration of his contract, and with whom he won the league title in 2002. After being released in 2004, he went to play one season with Fiorentina.
He then resumed his career in La Liga with Sevilla (where he remained for four years) and Málaga, appearing in 134 games and scoring 17 goals in the competition whilst winning five major titles with the former side. In between his two spells in Spain he also spent one year in Greece with Olympiacos. He later returned to Italy in 2012, where he played until his retirement in 2017, totalling 140 appearances and 17 goals in Serie A.
Maresca represented Italy at youth level, including the Italy under-21 team, but was never capped at senior level.
In January 2000, Maresca moved back to Italy and joined Juventus in a transfer worth £4.3 million, a club record sale for Albion at the time. He played in only one Serie A game until the end of the season.
In the 2004 summer, Fiorentina signed Maresca along with Fabrizio Miccoli and Giorgio Chiellini for €13 million, with Juventus holding half of the players’ rights. He made his official debut on 12 September, playing 60 minutes in a 0–1 away loss against Roma
On 2 July 2012, as his contract was about to expire, Maresca signed a new one-year link with Málaga. On 30 August, however, he returned to his country after seven years, joining Sampdoria for free.
