Chelsea are the latest to appoint Enzo Maresca as their new head coach, and the Blues’ bosses must reach a quick deal for the Leicester manager.
Leicester gave Chelsea permission to speak to Maresca after the 44-year-old Italian was their number one target to update Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea officials are expected to hold talks with Maresca in Marbella, where he is on holiday, and talks with Leicester on repayment of around £10m will continue.
Maresca guided Leicester to the league title this season and Chelsea sporting administrators Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart considered him a notable candidate for co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
Chelsea hiring director Joe Shields has worked with Maresca at Manchester City and has glowing reports too.
Barring a delayed issue, it is possible that a deal will be closed sometime after the retirement of Kieran McKenna and Maresca selected ahead of Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.
Chelsea are believed to be willing to give Maresca a contract of up to five years, although usually with cautious release clauses built in.
Maresca will most likely bring a core of his Leicester squad to Stamford Bridge, which would mean the return of former Blues goalkeeper Willy Caballero.
Assistant coach of Caballero Maresca at Leicester and may now return to the club where he played between 2017 and 2021.
Maresca finished a full season as head coach but outplayed rivals De Zerbi and Frank after impressing Chelsea in many areas.
Pochettino left Chelsea by mutual consent last week after securing a sixth place in the Premier League, amid internal disagreements over his point of influence.
Pochettino was looking to have more say in transfers and wider plans, while Chelsea are determined to expand a head coaching style, a role that appeals to Maresca.
The Blues focused first and foremost on Maresca because of his tactical vision and his experience as Pep Guardiola’s assistant coach at Manchester City.
In Italy he put into practice all the wisdom acquired while playing for City.
Maresca, who also worked at West Ham as an assistant to Manuel Pellegrini, evolved his tactics through his two roles at City, first as under-23 coach and then as an assistant to Guardiola.
He prefers a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 that matches Chelsea’s vision of what fits with the Stamford Bridge team.
The former Juventus and Sevilla midfielder, who began his playing career at West Brom, has a tendency to deploy inverted full-backs and, through his representatives, has already inspired Chelsea with his ideas on how to get the most out of the Les Bleus players. .
Maresca is believed to have found favour with Chelsea’s hierarchy by detailing plans for Enzo Fernandez to flourish at Stamford Bridge.
Argentina’s World Cup winner is recovering from surgery following a hernia that ruined the second half of his first crusade at Chelsea.
The 23-year-old has yet to locate his true position at Chelsea despite his apparent talent, and has struggled to build a graceful partnership with Moises Caicedo.
Maresca has reportedly made several adjustments to the set-up that he believes would allow Fernandez to thrive at Chelsea.
Chelsea had spoken to Ipswich manager McKenna but now appear keen to strike a new deal at the club he has just guided to promotion to the Premier League.
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