Reports suggest Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has entered Manchester City’s succession conversation as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola. Per The Athletic, the Chelsea boss is described as “high among the candidates” Manchester City are considering to fill the gap Guardiola will leave at the Etihad when he eventually steps down.

Guardiola lauded Maresca earlier this season, calling him “one of the best managers in the world.” That public praise has fed speculation that the current Chelsea coach could be viewed internally as a viable long-term option for City.

Despite signing an extension that runs until the summer of 2027, there is “a growing anticipation” that Guardiola could call it quits at the end of the current campaign. This season marks Guardiola’s 10th at Manchester City; he previously managed four years in Catalonia and three at Bayern Munich, doubling his longest spell at a single club.

Guardiola explained how he felt compelled to continue at City in November 2024 to help steer the club out of a dire run of form. The decline accelerated in the short term before he oversaw a third-place finish, two points above Maresca’s Chelsea, and a run to the FA Cup final. Reports add that any final decision on Guardiola’s future is likely to be delayed until the end of the campaign, consistent with the coach’s history of operating on one-year rolling contracts.

The timing of the story coincides with a challenging period for Maresca at Stamford Bridge. The Italian admitted to experiencing the “worst 48 hours” of his Chelsea tenure after perceived signals of a lack of faith from unnamed parties. Contact with the club’s co-sporting directors and owners has been described as limited, leaving his immediate future uncertain.

Chelsea have Maresca under contract until 2029, and that deal includes a one-year extension clause. While Maresca’s Chelsea agreement is lengthy, the reports note that appetite to continue is not guaranteed on either side as the season progresses.

Chelsea have identified central midfield as the principal area to reinforce but expect any permanent additions to arrive after the summer window. Sources suggest the plan is to recruit depth rather than a headline signing immediately, with one report saying the club are tipped to sign “at least one new midfielder in 2026”.

The immediate rationale is straightforward. First-team minutes are concentrated among a small group. Marc Cucurella is the only Chelsea player to amass more minutes this season than Fernández, with Caicedo also right up there. Injuries have compounded the issue: Dário Essugo has yet to play this season after thigh surgery in September, and Roméo Lavia has been sidelined since early November following another setback after missing the start of the campaign.

Enzo Maresca has therefore been working with limited options. Andrey Santos is the only other natural central midfielder available in the first-team squad, and full backs have been used to plug gaps; Reece James has filled in semi-regularly while Malo Gusto has done similar.

According to The Telegraph, scouting and recruitment work is under way but the idea is that no one will arrive before the summer. The January window would only be exploited if injuries pile up and force action sooner.

There is also a financial consideration about the profile of any target. The club may be reluctant to pay nine-figure fees for a player intended predominantly as rotation cover, particularly given the combined cost of Caicedo and Fernández, which amounts to almost £222 million ($296.5 million) in 2023. Names linked among the game’s brightest prospects have been valued at around £100 million each, a level Chelsea appear unlikely to pursue for a backup role. A more realistic spending bracket mentioned is around £20–40 million.

Candidates discussed in that price range include Atalanta’s Éderson, who has been linked with Barcelona and Manchester United, and the possibility of Conor Gallagher returning to England has also been raised. Gallagher was allowed to join Atlético Madrid in 2024 and has mostly appeared from the bench this season. On selling academy graduates under league rules, Maresca said: “The clubs are compelled to sell players because of the rules. It’s not a Chelsea problem, it is a Premier League problem,” and “The intention from Chelsea is not to sell—but the rules in the end make us. I love that [Franceso] Totti was at Roma for 20 years and a one-club man. My personal opinion is it’s a shame because we all like to see a one-club man. If we want to promote academy players—yes, change the rule.” New Squad Cost Ratio regulations will replace PSR next season.

Enzo Maresca confirmed that he has not had any contact with club officials since making a cryptic remark that prompted questions about his relationship with those above him at Chelsea. The manager declined to expand on the comment and made clear the supporters were not the group he had in mind, telling reporters: “I’m not annoyed with all of you.”

Many observers inferred the remarks were aimed at the club hierarchy, with speculation focusing on co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart and co-owner Behdad Eghbali. Multiple reports cited in recent coverage have suggested Maresca has grown tired of having his methods questioned by influential figures inside the organisation.

Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarterfinal, a 3–1 win over League One side Cardiff City, did little to change the manager’s demeanour. Following the victory, when asked if he was happy he replied simply: “No.” He was also asked whether anyone from the ownership group or the sporting directors had spoken to him since his earlier comments. “No,” he revealed.

He outlined his focus after the Everton defeat, saying: “As I said yesterday, the day after Everton, I started to prepare for Cardiff, focus on Cardiff. Now I just said, on the bus I will watch Newcastle games [to prepare for Saturday’s fixture] and I didn’t speak with one of them.” The manager’s assertion of silence from the club’s upper-management is notable given the regular involvement of those figures at matches and in the dressing room before, after and sometimes during fixtures.

One positive moment for Maresca on the night was the reception from travelling supporters when his name was sung late on. He acknowledged the gesture, calling it: “It was a great moment.

“I appreciate it and I am always thankful. I said many times the support has always been there, knowing that any supporters in the world are not happy when you don’t win. In some moments when we haven’t won games they have not been happy, but it is normal. Overall the fans have always been there.

“You cannot imagine how happy I am for the players because it is another semifinal for them, the fans, for everyone.”