Chelsea and Manchester City close in on multi-million Enzo Maresca agreement | OneFootball

Manchester City are close to reaching a financial settlement with Chelsea to enable them to formally appoint Enzo Maresca as their new manager.

The era of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City reached its conclusion at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, with the legendary manager stepping down after a trophy-laden decade that delivered 20 honours, culminating in a final domestic cup double.

Tasked with replacing arguably the greatest tactician in modern football history, the Etihad Stadium hierarchy initiated a succession plan designed to preserve the club’s embedded footballing philosophy.

Given his extensive understanding of the organisation – having previously coached the Elite Development Squad before serving as Guardiola’s first-team assistant during the 2022/23 Treble campaign – former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was swiftly identified as the No.1 choice to spearhead the post-Pep era.

However, despite Maresca verbally agreeing to a three-year contract back in May, his official unveiling in Manchester has been severely delayed by an administrative and financial deadlock with Chelsea.

Although the Italian tactician left Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day, contractual obligations from his tenure still firmly stood. Chelsea executives fiercely demanded upwards of £10 million in compensation, alleging Maresca breached terms of his contract by holding unauthorised discussions with Manchester City while still actively employed.

Consequently, lawyers for both heavyweights remain locked in settlement negotiations to thrash out a financial resolution, leaving City temporarily manager-less just weeks before pre-season training is scheduled to begin.

Man City edge closer to Maresca agreement

Now, according to The Guardian’s Matt Hughes, Manchester City are close to reaching a financial settlement with Chelsea that will enable them to officially appoint Enzo Maresca as their new manager – succeeding Pep Guardiola in the process.

Those at Stamford Bridge are said to have a good relationship with their City counterparts and have confidence an ‘amicable agreement’ can be reached, and a settlement worth more than £10 million to Chelsea is thought to be the likely outcome.

Manchester City do not return for pre-season training until the middle of July, largely due to the sheer number of players starring at the FIFA World Cup in North America, although Maresca is said to be ‘eager’ to start work at the Etihad Stadium as soon as possible.

What will Maresca’s first few weeks as City manager involve?

Maresca’s opening weeks at the helm will be a balancing act between administrative talks and on-pitch preparation. With the legal deadlock over his Chelsea contractual obligations finally nearing a resolution, the Italian will dive into squad assembly before the first team reports back to the City Football Academy.

His highest priority behind the scenes is integrating a new-look midfield core, driven by the club’s relentless push to finalise a British-record transfer for Nottingham Forest and England international Elliot Anderson.

As the 23-year-old is expected to undergo a medical in the United States during the ongoing World Cup, Sporting Director Hugo Viana are working to formalise paperwork, ensuring their primary target is secured before pre-season begins.

The Premier League’s official fixture release has confirmed Enzo Maresca will mark his competitive home debut at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, August 23, hosting Bournemouth side at 14:00 (UK) live on Sky Sports.