Enzo Maresca to Man City: Talks continue over hiring former Chelsea boss as Pep Guardiola's replacement
Enzo Maresca is widely expected to be named as Pep Guardiola's successor at Manchester City; the Italian was Guardiola's assistant when City won the treble in 2023 - and was most recently in charge of Chelsea
Tuesday 26 May 2026 17:17, UK
Manchester City are continuing talks with Enzo Maresca this week about succeeding Pep Guardiola.
Contrary to reports, all the points of a proposed three-year contract are not yet fully agreed.
However, a contract is expected to be finalised in the coming days, as discussions centre around the timeline of his appointment, the make-up of his backroom staff, and other finer details.
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City have announced on Tuesday that two more of Guardiola's assistants - Pep Ljinders and Kolo Toure - are leaving the Etihad, along with Lorenzo Buenaventura, Manel Estiarte and Xabi Mancisidor.
Maresca, who left Chelsea in acrimonious circumstances in January, still had three-and-a-half years left on his contract there.
Club lawyers will be taking a keen interest in his next move, as compensation may well be due.
Chelsea were informed by Maresca last autumn that he had been the subject of interest from City about eventually replacing Guardiola when he decided to leave, having worked under him as assistant coach during the 2022/23 season.
Will Maresca be a success at Chelsea?
Sky Sports' Paul Merson:
"I liked him at Chelsea. I thought he was a good manager. He's going into Man City, he's been there before, he's worked in the Premier League before. He knows some of the players at City. I think he ticks every box.
"He's not coming in trying to get used to the place, he's not coming into a league that he's never been in. I think he'll go in and settle quite nicely.
"They'll need a few players as well. But this is the problem: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Chelsea all need players. There's not that many players around.
"Who's going to be able to produce and give the most money to these players?"
What's next for Guardiola?
Guardiola has previously spoken about international management and, when quizzed on whether he would ever consider taking the England job, again did not rule it out.
He said: "I don't have any absolute plan about my future. I stop to rest and go to recover the time that I missed with my kids.
"They are grown and there are many things I've not done I want to do. So I don't think for one second about anything related to football for the next years. I need to rest, I need to reflect.
"After, we'll see what happens. I don't have a plan, it's just to rest and do a lot of things I want to do I didn't do in the past - stupid things."
Asked what he meant by "stupid things", he said: "Nobody cares."
