- Chelsea is negotiating with Enzo Maresca, Leicester City’s manager, to replace Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach
- Despite Maresca being a top candidate, Chelsea is also considering Roberto de Zerbi and Thomas Frank, with compensation required
Chelsea is in discussions to appoint Enzo Maresca, the current manager of Leicester City, as their new head coach, replacing Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca, 44, assumed leadership of Leicester in June 2023 and successfully guided the Foxes back to the Premier League by winning the Championship. The Italian manager is reportedly interested in the Chelsea job, with negotiations continuing just a day after Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna exited the race for the position.
Despite Maresca being the leading candidate, former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are still under consideration. Chelsea will need to pay compensation for any of these managers if they decide to hire them. Maresca’s compensation is expected to be around £10 million.
Chelsea aims to finalize the appointment this week, pending agreements on the compensation package.
Pochettino departed the club by mutual consent last week after finishing sixth in the Premier League in his single season at the helm.
Kieran McKenna, formerly an assistant manager at Manchester United, who led Ipswich Town to promotion from the Championship, is now being linked with Brighton and potentially a return to Old Trafford if Manchester United dismiss Erik ten Hag. Ipswich is keen to retain McKenna and is likely to offer him a new contract, though he is not expected to renew. McKenna is under contract with Ipswich until 2027, and any club looking to hire him would need to pay at least £4 million in compensation.