Manchester City are close to appointing Enzo Maresca after reaching a verbal agreement that would send more than £17m to Chelsea. Maresca is due to travel to Manchester in the next 24 hours to sign a three-year contract.
The deal would bring back a coach City know well. Maresca worked under Pep Guardiola during the 2023 treble and later guided the Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title in 2020/21, before moving on to Chelsea.
Chelsea settlement for Maresca
Sky in Italy said City will pay Chelsea more than £17m, or €20m, in compensation for the move. City had been in talks with Chelsea about the fee, and both clubs did not comment when contacted by Sky Sports News. The reported amount matters because it reflects the scale of the release from a contract that still had three-and-a-half years left when Maresca left Stamford Bridge.
Maresca departed Chelsea on New Year's Day by mutual consent and had been out of work since leaving Stamford Bridge. He left after one full season in charge, with Chelsea fifth in the Premier League table on January 1 and later lifting the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup titles.
Guardiola succession at Etihad Stadium
The timing also puts Maresca into a direct line of succession to Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola left at the end of the 2025/26 season after 10 years in charge, during which Manchester City won 17 major trophies, and City missed out on the Premier League to Arsenal in 2025/26.
Enzo Maresca Set to Become Manchester City Manager With Delay tracks the same move as the compensation discussion moves toward completion. For City, the next step is the signing in Manchester; for Maresca, it is the return to a club where he has already worked in two different roles and now looks set to take the top job.
