Manchester City have moved to settle the financial and legal issues blocking Enzo Maresca’s arrival, with reports indicating a payment of $22.8 million to Chelsea. A verbal agreement between City and Maresca has been in place for almost a month, with Maresca expected to sign a three-year contract to take over for Pep Guardiola at Etihad Stadium.

Maresca’s coaching path is well documented. He was Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble-winning campaign in 2022–23, left to manage Leicester City and guided them back to the Premier League in 2023–24, and then joined Chelsea in the summer of 2024. His time at Stamford Bridge lasted one and a half seasons and ended abruptly on New Year’s Day.

Maresca left Chelsea with three and a half years remaining on the five-year deal he signed in 2024. Chelsea did not frame his departure as an outright sacking. “Chelsea Football Club and Head Coach Enzo Maresca have parted company,” the club’s statement read . “With key objectives still to play for across four competitions including qualification for Champions League football, Enzo and the Club believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”

Reports also say City and Maresca entered negotiations while he was still Chelsea manager and without the Blues’ permission. That prompted Chelsea to consider reporting City to the Premier League for an illegal approach and to weigh legal action against Maresca for breach of contract.

City appear prepared to meet Chelsea’s demand to resolve the dispute and complete the hire. The $22.8 million figure is notably higher than an earlier reported $13 million (£10 million). According to ESPN, a settlement is close and Maresca could be officially unveiled as City’s new manager as early as this week.

Chelsea will receive a significant fee at a time they need funds after failing to qualify for European competition next season. City, for their part, expect Maresca to assume the challenge of succeeding Guardiola and to lead the Sky Blues into their next phase.

Enzo Maresca has agreed to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this summer, but his arrival at the Etihad has been delayed amid a dispute with his former club, Chelsea.

Maresca formally left Chelsea on January 1, 2026, after a turbulent spell that included a public intervention at a press conference in which he said a lack of support from “people in general” had contributed to the “worst 48 hours” of his time at Chelsea. The press conference followed a period in which he repeatedly clashed with the club’s ownership over transfers and team selection.

Reports indicate City began monitoring Maresca in December while he remained under contract at Stamford Bridge. The Italian spoke to City while still employed by Chelsea and, under the terms of his agreement with the Blues, was required to disclose those talks to the club’s owners. The subsequent public row and Maresca’s departure came around two weeks later.

Chelsea regard the exit as a turning point in a season that then deteriorated. The club’s problems were not confined to the pitch: his departure led to further financial consequences following the hiring and later dismissal of Liam Rosenior, for which compensation was paid.

Because Maresca is no longer employed by Chelsea, the club accepts they cannot block his final negotiations with City. The initial contact, however, is the subject of Chelsea’s complaint. Chelsea did not give permission for City to speak with Maresca, a contracted employee, and The Guardian state Chelsea believe they have sufficient evidence to report City to the Premier League for an illegal approach.

Chelsea are also said to be considering a separate claim against Maresca for breach of contract. Until those issues are resolved, City’s confirmation of Maresca remains on hold and the move is being pushed back.

Manchester City start the post-Pep Guardiola era at home to Bournemouth on the opening day of the 2026/27 Premier League season. The fixture list lays out a campaign that pairs early high-profile matches with a challenging finish.

Before an appearance against Arsenal later in the calendar, City face a derby away at Manchester United in gameweek four and, two rounds after that, a trip to Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool. The schedule also has City travelling to the defending champions on the final weekend of November, followed two weeks later by what the original report describes as “an awkward reunion” when Maresca’s former employers come to the Etihad.

Arsenal visit in the final week of January. The final matchweek before March’s international break brings Manchester United to the Etihad, setting up another moment of note in the first half of the season. Across December and the New Year City have fixtures stacked around the festive period, including matches on Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

The run-in contains potentially tricky meetings with Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa, interspersed with a trip to Ipswich Town. The original schedule also references an away day up at Sunderland on the final day of the season in May. The published list includes Ipswich Town away on 15 May and a final set of fixtures stretching into late May.

Live TV broadcasts will be chosen for select Premier League games; dates and kick-off times remain subject to change. All kick-off times are shown in Eastern Time (ET) and British Summer Time (BST) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), depending on the time of year.

Below the summary is the full fixture list with dates and kick-off times as published for the 2026/27 Premier League season.