Ex-Man City star loves who’s lined up to replace Pep Guardiola: ‘He’s one of the best managers in the world’
Manchester City are reportedly considering a move to bring Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to the Etihad Stadium should Pep Guardiola decide to leave.
Guardiola is expected to have a big say on his replacement at Manchester City, when he does choose to call time on his Premier League stay.
The 54-year-old has been in charge of the Citizens since 2016, and has spoken publicly about his fondness for his former assistant.
Maresca revealed internal issues at Chelsea following their victory over Everton last week, slamming decision-makers at Stamford Bridge for their lack of support of him.
Chelsea have not placed Maresca’s job under threat, but his comments have indicated a potential disconnect between the head coach and the board.
Manchester City target Enzo Maresca
Maresca has enjoyed a largely positive stint at Chelsea since making the step from Leicester City in 2024.
The Italian arrived off the back of a Championship-winning season with the Foxes, in which he led his side to 31 wins across 46 league fixtures.
There were some doubts about the 45-year-old’s readiness for such a move, but 18 months later, he has put all concerns to bed.
| Enzo Maresca | Chelsea |
| Wins | 55 |
| Draws | 14 |
| Losses | 20 |
| Scored | 186 |
| Conceded | 92 |
Maresca led the Blues to a Conference League-winning campaign before his side lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, smashing European champions PSG in the final.
Chelsea have shown some signs of being capable of competing for the Premier League title this season, but have lacked consistency in recent weeks.
The Italian’s comments came off the back of a run of poor form, in which he complained that he had not been shown support by the board after rotating his team on their encouragement.
Amid the head coach’s disgruntlement, David Ornstein reported on Thursday that Manchester City have him high among their candidates if Guardiola is to leave in the summer.
The Citizens are advancing contingency work ahead of the Spaniard’s potential departure, with Maresca the favourite among other candidates.
Speaking just two weeks ago, Guardiola dubbed the Italian as “one of the best managers in the world“.
James McAtee shares Maresca experience
James McAtee left Manchester City to join Nottingham Forest in the summer, in a deal worth around £30million.
The England youth international broke through from the academy, making 27 appearances across all competitions for Guardiola’s team last season.
Speaking in October, he shared how important Maresca had been for his development at the Under-23 level.
“Enzo Maresca was a great manager,” he told FourFourTwo. “And what I found most interesting was that he was obviously a great player as well.
“When he joined in and did rondos with us, he was probably one of the best players. I don’t think he ever lost it.”
Maresca spent one year among Guardiola’s assistants, with many of his potential future Manchester City players having already had experience of working with the Italian.