Enzo Maresca Chelsea compensation talks are moving towards a financial settlement, with Manchester City close to agreeing a deal that would allow them to appoint the Italian as manager.
Chelsea have been demanding compensation from City after Maresca left Stamford Bridge during last season and later emerged as the leading candidate to replace Pep Guardiola.
According to The Guardian, a settlement worth more than £10m to Chelsea is now thought to be the likely outcome.
The report claims Chelsea believe they have evidence that Maresca breached his contract by speaking to City while he was still their manager. It also says Chelsea have considered reporting City to the Premier League over an alleged illegal approach, but do not currently plan to do so.
That keeps the matter in negotiation territory rather than turning it into a formal league complaint.
Chelsea Set To Gain From Maresca Exit Saga
For Chelsea, the significance is obvious.
Maresca’s departure destabilised a season that ended with the club finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing out on European qualification. Chelsea paid Leicester around £8m to bring him to Stamford Bridge two years ago, so they were never likely to let City take him without a fight.
The Guardian also reports that Chelsea made another multimillion-pound payment to Strasbourg in January to appoint Liam Rosenior as Maresca’s replacement.
ReadChelsea has already looked at whether Chelsea could derail Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City move, and this latest update suggests the club are instead moving towards a financial resolution.
That may be the cleaner outcome for all parties.
Chelsea get compensation, City get closer to appointing their preferred manager, and Maresca avoids being stuck in a legal dispute before pre-season.
There is still no official agreement, and both clubs declined to comment to The Guardian.
But the direction of travel now looks clear: the Enzo Maresca Chelsea compensation saga is close to ending with money rather than escalation.
