Enzo Maresca, the manager of Leicester City, and Chelsea have begun discussions about Maresca taking over as head coach of the Blues in place of Mauricio Pochettino.
Romeo Lavia of Chelsea (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Chelsea is about to embark on a new chapter in their history as they begin talks with Enzo Maresca, the manager of Leicester City. After a year away, the Italian guided the Foxes back to the Premier League by winning the Championship ahead of rivals Southampton, Leeds United, and Ipswich Town.
Although a number of candidates are still in the running to move to West London, football.london understands that the majority of the preparations for a move for the former Manchester City development coach have already been completed. Although Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi are contenders, Maresca is still the favorite to replace Mauricio Pochettino following his shocking firing.
The 44-year-old will have known Chelsea players Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia from his time at City. After making an unexpected summer transfer from Greater Manchester to the capital, Palmer has surprised many by scoring 22 goals and dishing out 11 assists in 34 Premier League games.
Lavia, though, hasn’t yet reached the pinnacles of what his potential could bring. The Belgian youngster’s first season at Stamford Bridge was marred by injuries following Chelsea’s highly publicized victory over Liverpool to acquire the Southampton midfield player.
After he entered the game as a substitute halfway through the second half, the 20-year-old’s first season with the Blues in the top flight ended after just 32 minutes. Due to the fact that Chelsea’s overpaid players are committed to long-term contracts, Maresca will need to make decisions regarding both his potential new team and the transfer window.
Lavia, who moved from Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht, will be hoping to make an immediate impact under a manager who oversaw his development. Even though it was unfavorable under Pochettino due to uncontrollable circumstances, the 20-year-old can now look to start his Chelsea career under Maresca, and he has already spoken about the impact he has made.
In 2021, he told GOAL, “I really enjoy passing through the lines and recovering the ball.” “Enzo has been really helpful to me with that; he always keeps me on the half-turn so I can see how the game is progressing, so it’s not a problem right now.
“I am aware of my abilities, but they support me when I make a mistake. It goes without saying that my teammates are experienced—a few of them trained with the first squad. They’ve been a huge help, and I’ll continue to learn.”
Conor Gallagher, who led the team to European football following a late-season surge under Pochettino, is still regularly linked to a move away from Stamford Bridge. The England international’s current contract has one year left on it, and Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly interested.
Lavia would join a long list of midfield options for Maresca if he were to regain his fitness, including the £200 million midfield tandem of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. Although there are worries about the potential arrival of the Leicester City manager, Lavia has already demonstrated his ability to bring out the best in players.
