Premier League Rivals ‘Consider’ Shock Move for Enzo Maresca

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has reportedly emerged as an unexpected contender to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this summer.

Maresca has obvious links to Guardiola and City. The Italian tactician spent a year as the club’s U23 coach before serving as one of the first-team assistants during the treble-winning 2022–23 campaign.

Guardiola gushingly lauded his former colleague as “one of the best managers in the world” earlier this season. Now he could become his future successor.

The Chelsea boss is described as “high among the candidates” Manchester City are considering to fill the yawning chasm Guardiola will leave when he eventually calls time on his career at the Etihad, per The Athletic. When that day will come is still very much up in the air.

Despite signing a contract extension which notably stretches until the summer of 2027, “there is a growing anticipation” that Guardiola could call it quits at the end of the current campaign.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach has already doubled his longest-ever previous spell at one single club. This season represents his 10th in Manchester; he only previously managed four in Catalonia and three at Bayern before moving on.

Pep Guardiola looking gormless. — Pep Guardiola has a contract at Man City until June 2027. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

Guardiola has explained how he felt compelled to continue at City in November 2024 to help steer the club out of a dire run of form. The decline only quickened in the short term before he eventually oversaw a third-place finish (two points above Maresca’s Chelsea) and a run to the FA Cup final.

Should City end the campaign with some significant silverware—Guardiola is growing ever more confident about a Premier League title charge—the legendary coach could be convinced to hang up his roll-neck jumper.

Any decision on Guardiola’s future is thought to be delayed until the end of the campaign—this is standard fare for the somewhat skittish coach who has traditionally operated on one-year rolling contracts. Maresca’s deal with Chelsea is far lengthier, but the appetite to continue may not run so deep.

Would Maresca Leave Chelsea for Man City?

Enzo Maresca (left) and Pep Guardiola. — Enzo Maresca (left) used to work with Pep Guardiola. | Shaun Brooks-CameraSport/Getty Images

This report has surfaced at an intriguing time.

Maresca has dominated the headlines over the past week after lamenting the “worst 48 hours” of his Chelsea tenure following a lack of faith from unnamed entities. With contact to the club’s co-sporting directors and owners limited, the Italian’s future has never been so uncertain.

Chelsea have Maresca tied down to a contract which doesn’t expire until 2029 and also boasts a one-year extension clause.

For all the vagaries which Maresca dealt in during this weak of cryptic press conferences, the Italian did provide a definitive answer to the question of whether he was 100% committed to Chelsea: “Absolutely, yes.” That resolve may be tested by City in the months to come.