Why Are Chelsea Delaying Man City’s Enzo Maresca Appointment?

The Italian has agreed to succeed Pep Guardiola at the Etihad this summer.

Enzo Maresca is set to take over at Man City this summer. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Enzo Maresca has agreed to take Pep Guardiola’s place as Manchester City manager this summer, but his move to the Etihad continues to be pushed back.

Maresca, a one-time assistant to Guardiola at City, was identified as the club’s preferred successor last season and a formal agreement to hire the Italian was struck in May, but it has been over a month and the deal has not yet been completed.

Given Maresca parted ways with Chelsea in January, his appointment may look like a simple one on paper. In reality, it is anything but.

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The Controversial Circumstances of Maresca’s Chelsea Departure

Maresca went public with his frustrations. | Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

On January 1, 2026, Chelsea confirmed Maresca had left his post as manager at the end of a tumultuous few weeks.

While results on the pitch had been far from perfect, the real drama unfolded behind the scenes and first found its way into the public eye when Maresca hijacked his own press conference to claim a lack of support from “people in general” had contributed to the “worst 48 hours” of his time at Chelsea.

Maresca had butted heads with Chelsea’s divisive ownership over a number of issues, from transfers to team selection, and it quickly became clear that the two parties could not continue working together.

However, that is just the beginning.

In December, it first emerged that City were looking at Maresca, still employed by Chelsea at the time, as Guardiola’s successor. The Italian spoke to City while still under contract at Stamford Bridge and, per the terms of his agreement with Chelsea, had to disclose those talks to the Blues ownership.

It was around this time that Maresca’s public rant against Chelsea stole the headlines, and the situation soon became untenable and the Italian departed the club around two weeks later.

A number of reports have suggested Chelsea acknowledge the departure of Maresca as the turning point in a season that quickly descended into chaos. Not only did his exit harm their fortunes on the pitch, but it also required the payment of compensation for the hiring—and the subsequent firing—of Liam Rosenior as his replacement.

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How Chelsea Are Complicating Man City’s Maresca Deal

Maresca continues to wait for an agreement. | Gabriele Maltinti/FIGC/Getty Images

Maresca is no longer employed by Chelsea, meaning the Blues can have no issues with his final round of negotiations with City. However, it is his first contact with the Cityzens that has upset Chelsea officials.

Chelsea did not give permission for City to speak with Maresca, a contracted employe, and The Guardian state Chelsea believe they have sufficient evidence to report City to the Premier League for an illegal approach.

At the same time, Chelsea are also said to be considering a separate claim against Maresca for breach of contract.

City, aware of the potential ramifications of their contact with Maresca, have been negotiating a settlement with the Blues to try and put the issue to bed as quickly as possible. Per reports, an agreement worth over $13 million (£10 million) is close to being struck between the two clubs.

If Chelsea and City can shake hands, the Blues are expected to end their threats of legal action against either City or Maresca, paving way for a deal to be formally completed.

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