Manchester City and Chelsea are locked in ongoing negotiations as Enzo Maresca edges closer to replacing Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola announced on 22 May that he would step down as City manager after a trophy-laden decade in charge of the club.
Maresca was quickly identified as the leading contender for the role, with talks between the two clubs now described as being at an advanced stage.
Senior figures at both clubs are currently working through a compensation package for the 46-year-old, who left Chelsea in January despite being contracted until 2029.
Chelsea believe they are owed significant compensation and have been actively exploring their legal options as discussions continue.
It remains unclear exactly how much Chelsea expect to receive or when a resolution might be reached, adding uncertainty to the timeline of Maresca’s appointment.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Maresca won the Club World Cup and the Conference League, and he is understood to be keen on taking the City job.
Maresca’s final months at Chelsea were difficult, with sources describing a fractured relationship between the manager and the club’s ownership group.
Chelsea sources claim they were aware of complaints from Maresca regarding the club’s transfer policy, and tensions continued to escalate over issues including medical staff and team selections.
Despite the turmoil, Chelsea’s hierarchy is said to have retained respect for much of Maresca’s work with the players, and he remained popular with the majority of the dressing room.
The club believe the upheaval following his departure played a major role in their subsequent drop in form, which ultimately saw them fail to qualify for European competition.
Maresca has a strong connection to City, having served as an assistant to Guardiola during the club’s historic Treble-winning 2022-23 campaign and playing a key role in the academy setup.
The former West Brom and Juventus midfielder departed City in 2023 to manage Leicester, guiding them to Premier League promotion in his only season in charge.
Separately, City are also in pursuit of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, with an opening bid for the 23-year-old England international rejected last week.
Anderson tops City’s midfield targets following the departure of captain Bernardo Silva, and sources indicate the club are expected to return with a further offer.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is understood to want more than the £105m Arsenal paid for Declan Rice from West Ham in 2023, potentially making Anderson a record fee for a British player.
BBC Sport has previously reported that Anderson is leaning towards a move to City over rivals Manchester United, with the player currently on duty at the World Cup.
England boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed squad members will have permission to finalise transfers, provided it does not significantly affect the team’s preparations for the tournament.
