One month on from Pep Guardiola’s announcement that he will leave Manchester City after a decade in charge, the club are closing in on the appointment of former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as his successor on a three-year deal. Sources have told BBC Sport that a compensation agreement with Chelsea – understood to be well in excess of £10m – has been reached, with Maresca, 46, expected to be confirmed shortly.
The Italian left Stamford Bridge in January despite having a contract until 2029, and Chelsea feel they are due compensation under the terms of his departure. The Blues had been exploring their legal options before City stepped in. Maresca was quickly identified as the only candidate to take on the unenviable task of replacing Guardiola. City declined to comment when approached.
“Manchester City agree £10m+ compensation with Chelsea to appoint Enzo Maresca as manager”
City players not involved in World Cup action are due back for pre-season in mid-July, but without Maresca in place, those considering their futures have been left in limbo. Transfer business has continued, though: City have had two bids rejected for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson and are expected to make another offer as they look to replace departing captain Bernardo Silva.
According to Foot Mercato, France full-back Malo Gusto has provisionally agreed to join City to reunite with Maresca, who worked with him at Chelsea. The 23-year-old is under contract until 2030, and Chelsea – who value him at around £75m – are not actively looking to sell, despite being close to signing Marco Palestra. City now need to persuade their Premier League rivals to cash in.
City Xtra’s Freddie Pye told BBC Sport: “Given the absence of any pre-season training until next month, perhaps Maresca and City have not lost out on anything via a delayed announcement. City have a compelling and desirable sales pitch – a winning project, unrivalled facilities and the start of an exciting new era. But the futures of players may be a different story – some may view Guardiola’s departure as the end of a career segment.”