Fabrizio Romano issues update on Enzo Maresca and Manchester City job following Chelsea exit | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca continues to be a name held in the highest regard at Manchester City, despite his exit from Chelsea on New Year’s Day, according to reports.

Maresca was relieved of his duties as Chelsea head coach on New Year’s Day after weeks of speculation on the Italian’s future in west London, with reports widely indicating a falling out between the 45-year-old and the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

The 45-year-old, who has previously served as Leicester City manager and worked as part of Pep Guardiola’s staff at Manchester City, has questioned the club’s support for him in recent weeks, publicly calling out senior Chelsea executives in the backdrop of a poor run of results over the festive period.

Manchester City officials, led by director of football Hugo Viana, are searching the market for potent replacements for Pep Guardiola, who is contracted till 2027 but has been linked with a potential exit at the end of the season.

Guardiola has rubbished talks of a premature exit from the Etihad Stadium but Manchester City officials will be monitoring the managerial market to have contingency plans in place for when the legendary Catalan coach departs the club.

The 54-year-old joined Manchester City in 2016, when he replaced Manuel Pellegrini, and has spearheaded the Blues to six Premier League titles amongst a plethora of domestic silverware, as well as a premier UEFA Champions League title to round off a historic treble in 2023.

Over 10 years into his reign at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola is understood to be calm over his future, having penned a two-and-a-half year deal at the club in the fall of 2024 to commit his future till the end of the 2026-27 season to Manchester City.

However, with City in an embryonic stage of their transition under Viana – who replaced long-serving sporting director Txiki Begiristain last summer – it makes sense for the club to line up possible replacements to take the baton from their greatest-ever manager at some point in the future.

According to the information of Fabrizio Romano, Maresca remains on Manchester City’s managerial shortlist for the future and is highly rated at the Etihad Stadium – although nothing is agreed at this stage.

As for Guardiola, the Catalan head coach has not made any decision on his Manchester City future and remains 100 per cent focused on the ongoing season, while Maresca respects his former Etihad Stadium colleague.

Guardiola and his side saw their winning run end at eight games on New Year’s Day as Sunderland held the title-chasing Blues to a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light, leaving City four points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Maresca has impressed at Chelsea, notably winning the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, and the Italian could be City’s long-term successor to Guardiola, who will inevitably run out of steam at some point in the future.