Enzo Maresca ‘informs’ Man City he has ‘chosen’ Chelsea key star as ‘first top signing’ – report | OneFootball

According to reports, Enzo Maresca is the ‘frontrunner’ to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and he wants to sign a Chelsea star.

Last week, Maresca parted ways with Chelsea as he contributed to his position at Stamford Bridge becoming untenable.

Maresca had highs at Chelsea as he helped them to win the Club World Cup and Europa Conference League, while they sealed Champions League qualification at the end of last season.

However, Chelsea sorely lacked consistency during Maresca’s reign, with his exit coming following a run of three games without a win in the Premier League.

Maresca also picked a fight with club chiefs over an alleged lack of support, while he has also been heavily linked with a potential move to Man City to replace Guardiola.

These factors made his exit inevitable, but he remains a contender to be Man City’s next manager after Guardiola.

Guardiola is under contract until 2027, but there has been talk over the world-class boss leaving the Premier League side at the end of this season.

With that, Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Maresca is the ‘frontrunner’ and ‘leading candidate’ to replace Guardiola at the Etihad.

The same outlet has claimed that the Italian has ‘informed’ Man City of his ‘demand’ to make Chelsea standout Cole Palmer his ‘first top signing’.

Palmer progressed through the ranks at Man City, but the 23-year-old joined Chelsea in 2023 in a deal worth around £40m.

Palmer stood out when given the opportunity at Man City, but they decided to cash in on the attacking midfielder as Guardiola felt he would not have had enough game time.

This has backfired as Palmer has emerged as one of the best players in the Premier League at Chelsea, grabbing 47 goals and 29 assists in his 109 appearances across all competitions.

Regarding Man City’s stance on this potential transfer, the report explains: ‘The Italian manager has been very clear with the board regarding his conditions for signing a contract with the English champions. Maresca believes that the missing piece in the post-Guardiola system is Cole Palmer, the young player who previously shone under his management.

‘For the coach, the attacking midfielder is not just another signing, but the central figure around whom he intends to build his new footballing philosophy in Manchester. Manchester City are already aware of these demands and are seriously considering the financial commitment involved in negotiating the return of their academy graduate.’