Enzo Maresca ‘set to agree five-year Chelsea deal’ in extra blow to Mauricio Pochettino | Football | Sport
Enzo Maresca is reportedly expected to sign a five-year deal at Chelsea, as Todd Boehly deals one last blow to the departing Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine departed Chelsea by mutual consent last week, despite guiding the Blues back into Europe this season.
Pochettino oversaw five consecutive victories to end the Premier League campaign – a run of form that was good enough to secure sixth place.
However, disagreements surrounding the direction Chelsea should go in next season led to Pochettino calling it quits and leaving after less than a year in charge.
It meant Chelsea were on the lookout for their sixth manager – fourth permanent – since Boehly took charge, with The Athletic reporting that’s likely to be Maresca.
But in a final blow served to the exiting manager, the Blues hierarchy have reportedly presented Maresca with a minimum five-year deal – over double the length offered to the more experienced Pochettino last year.
It’s a surprise show of faith in the Italian, whose Leicester City side finished top of the Championship table last time around.
However, away from his 97-point campaign in charge of the Foxes, Maresca has endured a mixed managerial career.
His only other stint as head coach lasted only 14 matches, with Maresca winning just four of those games while in charge of Parma.
Instead, before this season, the 44-year-old had found success operating as an assistant, most notably during Manchester City‘s historic Treble-winning campaign last year.
It’s that success, both at City and Leicester, that has attracted the Chelsea hierarchy, with co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley viewing Maresca as the best man to take the capital club forward in the long term.
The two-time European champions are due to meet Maresca for negotiations, having submitted a formal approach to Leicester on Monday afternoon.
Maresca’s first task will be finding a coherent balance within a Chelsea side that has struggled for form and consistency since Boehly took over as co-owner.
Of the 10 youngest average starting XIs in the Premier League this season, seven of them were fielded by Chelsea, illustrating just how tender the Blues squad is.
If Maresca is confirmed as the Chelsea manager, he’ll get his first chance to view his players when those not involved in international duty return for pre-season training in early July.
