Man City close in on £17m deal for Maresca as Guardiola successor

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Maresca

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Manchester City are close to appointing former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as the successor to Pep Guardiola after agreeing a compensation package worth more than £17 million (€20 million) with Chelsea, according to reports in Italy.

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Sky Sports reported on Monday that a verbal agreement has been reached between all parties, with Maresca expected to travel to Manchester within the next 24 hours to sign a three-year contract.

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The Italian coach is set to return to the Etihad Stadium, where he previously worked as Guardiola’s assistant during City’s historic treble-winning campaign in 2023.

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City have been negotiating compensation with Chelsea because Maresca still had three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract when he left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent on New Year’s Day.

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Neither Manchester City nor Chelsea have officially commented on the reports.

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Maresca has been out of work since leaving Chelsea, where he enjoyed a successful spell despite his early departure.

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During his only full season in charge, he guided the Blues to UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup titles and secured Champions League qualification.

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Before joining Chelsea, Maresca led Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad to the Premier League 2 title and later returned to Guardiola’s backroom staff.

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His familiarity with City’s football philosophy and structure is believed to have made him the leading candidate to replace Guardiola.

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Guardiola left Manchester City at the end of the 2025/26 season after a trophy-laden decade in which he won 17 major honours and transformed the club into one of Europe’s dominant forces.

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The Spaniard’s final campaign saw City finish behind Arsenal in the Premier League, marking the first time in his managerial career that he failed to win a league title in consecutive seasons.

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If completed, Maresca’s appointment would mark the beginning of a new era at the Etihad, with City turning to one of Guardiola’s closest protégés to continue the club’s success.

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