Senior Chelsea and Man City officials in advanced talks over Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Talks between senior figures at Manchester City and Chelsea over a compensation package for Enzo Maresca are at an advanced stage, though it remains unclear how much that will be or when the matter will be resolved.

The two clubs have been locked in discussions over compensation since Maresca departed Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Day with three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, having not claimed severance upon his resignation.

Chelsea are understood to have been seeking a sizeable fee throughout, with the matter having been placed in the hands of lawyers at both clubs in recent weeks.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak urged supporters to be patient earlier this week, insisting the club would announce their new manager “very soon” and that they had gone through a “thoughtful and structured process” to identify the right candidate.

Maresca has been chosen by City with Pep Guardiola’s personal backing and has been offered a three-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Report: Compensation talks at advanced stage

As per BBC Sport’s Shamoon Hafez and Nizaar Kinsella, talks between senior figures at Manchester City and Chelsea over a compensation package for Enzo Maresca are at an advanced stage, though it remains unclear how much the package will amount to or when the matter will be fully resolved.

The update suggests the two clubs are closer to a resolution than at any point since the dispute began, with senior personnel now directly involved in discussions rather than leaving the matter entirely in the hands of lawyers.

A formal announcement on Maresca’s appointment is expected to follow once both clubs sign off on the compensation agreement.

City have been eager to wrap up the managerial appointment with the summer transfer window already open and pre-season preparations due to begin in July, with director of football Hugo Viana and Maresca understood to have already held preliminary conversations on transfer targets and squad planning.

What is the wider context for the compensation dispute?

The delay in formally confirming Maresca has been an unwanted subplot to what City’s hierarchy had hoped would be a clean and swift transition following Guardiola’s emotional farewell last month.

It has previously been reported that the compensation figure was “unlikely to be small”, with Chelsea having been determined throughout to maximise their financial return for a manager who left with significant contract time remaining.

The situation has an additional dimension given that City and Chelsea are already set to meet in the FA Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on August 16, making the two clubs’ ability to resolve their differences quickly a matter of some practical importance as both sides plan for the season ahead.