Maresca Is Top Candidate If Guardiola Does Quit Manchester City This Year

Enzo Maresca is nan starring campaigner to return complete astatine Manchester City arsenic they hole for nan increasing anticipation of Pep Guardiola leaving astatine nan extremity of nan season.

Maresca has been retired of activity since departing Chelsea successful January and it is understood location person been affirmative talks complete him replacing his aged mentor this summer. Guardiola has a twelvemonth connected his woody but City cognize they must beryllium ready for nan 55-year-old deciding this is nan clip to leave.

A imaginable complication successful City’s pursuit of Maresca is that he is believed still to person contractual obligations to Chelsea. He is understood to person walked distant nether statement pinch three-and-a-half years connected his deal, positive a nine action of a further year.

The waters were muddied by nan Athletic reporting that Maresca had informed Chelsea successful nan weeks earlier his departure that he had doubly spoken to figures associated pinch City astir replacing Guardiola contempt being nether contract. Maresca shocked nan shot world by abruptly leaving earlier Chelsea were owed to look City astatine nan Etihad Stadium successful January.

Guardiola could determine to spot retired his statement but location is simply a increasing emotion wrong shot that awesome alteration is connected nan measurement astatine nan Etihad Stadium, leaving City to put contingency plans successful place. The process is being led by their head of football, Hugo Viana, and nan guidance of recreation is Maresca being named arsenic Guardiola’s successor if a head is needed.

Guardiola called Maresca past December “one of nan champion managers successful nan world” and described nan Italian’s activity astatine Chelsea arsenic exceptional. The brace person a adjacent narration aft moving together astatine City. Maresca was Guardiola’s adjunct erstwhile City won nan Champions League successful 2023 and is simply a follower of Guardiola’s style of play.

Enzo Maresca guided Chelsea to nan Club World Cup arsenic good arsenic nan Conference League title but his reign astatine Chelsea ended acrimoniously earlier this season. Photograph: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

City are pushing to hit Arsenal to nan title and could decorativeness pinch different home treble. Guardiola has successful effect completed English shot and it would not beryllium a astonishment if he took a break aft 10 years astatine nan Etihad Stadium. He has won 18 trophies pinch City, who are apical of nan convention connected extremity scored pinch 5 games to play.

Whoever replaces Guardiola erstwhile nan time comes will beryllium taking connected a challenge balanced to nan 1 David Moyes inherited erstwhile he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson astatine Manchester United successful 2013. Maresca is highly rated and was City’s under-23s coach earlier being promoted to activity pinch Guardiola.

Maresca led Leicester to nan Championship title successful 2024, past replaced Mauricio Pochettino astatine Chelsea. He qualified for nan Champions League and won nan Conference League and Club World Cup during his first twelvemonth location but his 2nd play was trim short successful explosive fashion.

Several Chelsea players liked Maresca’s coaching and were sorry to spot him go. Enzo Fernández and Marc Cucurella person spoken fondly of their erstwhile head successful caller weeks. City person been linked pinch Fernández arsenic they look for midfield reinforcements. Chelsea are consenting to waste nan Argentinian but will request a precocious price.

City were approached for comment.