Chelsea have made a move to approach Leicester City for permission to speak to manager Enzo Maresca, sources have revealed to ESPN. The Italian manager has been identified as the preferred candidate to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca, at the age of 44, led Leicester City to promotion back to the Premier League by winning the Championship in his first season in charge. His coaching success has caught the attention of Chelsea’s owners, prompting them to pursue him as a potential candidate.
Although Maresca is the frontrunner, there are other coaches under consideration by Chelsea as well. Former Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are also being looked at as possible replacements for Pochettino.
Maresca is known for favoring a possession-based style of play and has a track record of giving opportunities to young, emerging players. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia, who previously worked with Maresca at Manchester City, are examples of players who have benefited from his coaching methods.
Leicester City is expected to demand around £9 million ($11.5m) in compensation if they allow Maresca to enter talks with Chelsea this week. Prior to his time at Leicester, Maresca had a brief stint as head coach of Parma in Serie B. He also managed Manchester City’s reserve team to the Premier League 2 title. As a player, Maresca achieved success with Juventus, winning Serie A in 2002, as well as lifting two UEFA Cups and a Copa del Rey with Sevilla.
Overall, the pursuit of Enzo Maresca by Chelsea signals their desire to bring in a coach with a proven track record of success and a commitment to developing young talent. If the negotiations are successful, Maresca could be the man tasked with leading Chelsea to greater heights in the future.