Maresca to Man City blocked by Chelsea lawyers as season ‘undermined’ by Autumn talks and acrimonious exit | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca’s move to Manchester City is being blocked by Chelsea lawyers as the Blues seek compensation for his exit from the club and the talks he held with City before that departure.

Maresca won the Conference League and Club World Cup and led Chelsea back into the Champions League in the 2024/2025 campaign but ‘parted ways’ with the Blues midway through his second season.

Crucially for Chelsea, in their bid to land compensation from City, he wasn’t sacked, and with three-and-a-half seasons left on his deal the Blues lawyers are arguing that the London club is due hefty compensation from the Citizens before they can announce the Italian as their new manager.

Maresca has been linked with a return to City – where he worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant – for some time and speculation over a move ramped up in the Autumn, when he told the BlueCo bosses that he had held talks with the City hierarchy.

Upon Guardiola’s departure at the end of the season, City moved swiftly to reach an agreement with Maresca to replace the legendary Spaniard at the helm.

Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: ‘BREAKING: Enzo Maresca has a total verbal agreement with Manchester City, HERE WE GO!

‘The Italian manager has always been considered the ideal candidate to replace Pep Guardiola.

‘Deal in place and Maresca will sign an initial three year deal at #MCFC. New era, soon.’

That news came over two weeks ago and Maresca is yet to be announced as the new City boss, with Sky Sports now revealing that his unveiling is being thwarted by Chelsea’s bid for compensation.

It’s claimed ‘a deal is in the hands of each club’s respective lawyers’ as a previous report from The Telegraph revealed that Chelsea believe that Maresca’s acrimonious exit from the club and the weeks leading up to it, which followed his revelation that he had held talks with City, ‘undermined their season’.

‘As seamless as it can be’

Chelsea hero Joe Cole has exclusively told Football365 that he expects Man City to be “there or thereabouts next season” under Maresca.

“Well, I think Man City are in an absolute prime position for Enzo coming in,” he said.

“You couldn’t have picked a better candidate. Somebody who understands the group, understands Pep Guardiola, understands the club, that has also gone away and went to a massive club and won, and got experience.

“So, he is in a great position, Enzo Maresca, and it’s a great appointment, and I fully expect Manchester City to be there or thereabouts next season, and it to be as seamless as it can be.

“They need to replace Bernardo Silva and John Stones, so they’ll need to bring players in. But they’re in a great position. I’m not worried.”

And City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has warned rivals that they are “far from peaked” as they prepare for life after Pep Guardiola.

“We are far from peaked,” Khaldoon said in his annual interview for the club’s media channels.

“We are used to – because it’s in our DNA – winning. This is a club that is designed, built to win.”

He added: “Obviously with the additions we’re going to make this summer, I am very confident. I think next year we’re going to come back very strong, very strong.

“We will make sure we’re going to be in an even stronger position for next season.”