Enzo Maresca left his role as Chelsea head coach in January this year and is now expected to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The Italian was at Stamford Bridge for just 18 months before disagreements with the hierarchy saw him depart under a cloud of uncertainty and disappointment.
Maresca has kept a relatively low profile, but after recently confirming he's ready to return, the 46-year-old is primed to take over from Guardiola at Manchester City after the legendary boss announced last season was his last at the Etihad.
Chelsea and Man City in talks over Enzo Maresca's compensation
After Maresca, who previously worked under Guardiola, left Chelsea with a significant period still left on his contract, should Manchester City appoint him, they will owe the Blues a compensation fee.
It is not known exactly how much this fee could rise to, but according to Sky Sports News, the two Premier League clubs are now in active talks to agree a figure.
Both clubs' lawyers are working hard to agree a suitable package and one that will certainly boost the Blues financially. Chelsea are in desperate need to balance the books, so any additional income will be greatly received.
Maresca yet to agree contract at Man City
Although it is almost guarenteed that Maresca will take charge of the Citizens from next season, the Italian has yet to agree to a contract.
The finer details, including which backroom staff members are going to join him at the Etihad, are still being discussed but a final agreement is expected within the coming days.
From Chelsea's perspective, knowing their best coach post-Roman Abramovich is going to be in a rivals' dugout is far from ideal. Questions surrounding Maresca's departure have always been asked with a general acceptance that BlueCo should never have allowed him to walk away so easily.
With the 2026-27 Premier League fixtures yet to be released, it remains unknown when Chelsea and the incoming Xabi Alonso will face off against Mareca, but both fixtures will certainly be intriguing, especially the game at Stamford Bridge, because it will be very interesting to see what kind of reception Maresca gets.
During his time at Chelsea, Maresca oversaw 92 matches, in all competitions, and averaged 1.97 points per game. He lifted the 2024-25 UEFA Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google