Manchester City’s pursuit of Enzo Maresca has reached a reported breakthrough: the club have agreed to pay Chelsea €20 million in compensation for the manager, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The agreement clears a key obstacle to Maresca’s expected appointment as Pep Guardiola’s successor, though the report stops short of saying City have formally confirmed the move. That distinction matters: a fee can settle the clubs’ dispute while the appointment still awaits its public announcement.
The reported fee reflects an unusual wrinkle in the move. Maresca left Chelsea on 1 January after disagreements with the club’s leadership and a downturn in results, but he wasn’t dismissed and his contract remained in force. As a result, his departure from the dugout didn’t automatically make him available to take another job. Manchester City had to negotiate with Chelsea for his release, turning a coaching appointment into a deal between two clubs.
The clubs’ talks took several weeks. Chelsea, which views City as a direct rival, reportedly sought what it considered fair market value for a manager still under contract. That position gives the compensation figure a broader significance: it reflects not only Maresca’s status, but also Chelsea’s bargaining position and the difficulty of recruiting someone whose contractual ties remain unresolved.
The relationship had also been strained by City’s discussions with Maresca while he was still in charge at Stamford Bridge. That history helps explain why the negotiations took time. There’s an obvious tension when a club wants to recruit a manager from a direct competitor, especially when the candidate hasn’t yet left his job on terms that settle his availability.
A costly route to Guardiola’s successor
City identified Maresca as a potential successor after Guardiola announced last month that he would leave at the end of the season, despite having a year remaining on his contract. Guardiola is expected to take a break from coaching while staying connected to City Football Group as an ambassador. His departure would bring a long-running managerial partnership to a close and make the next appointment one of the club’s most consequential decisions.
The €20 million payment would put Maresca among the most expensive managerial appointments. That’s a substantial outlay before his work at City has even begun, and it underlines how much the club values continuity in its succession planning. It’s also a reminder that managerial moves can carry a transfer-style cost when a coach remains tied to a contract.
Maresca is expected to travel to Manchester shortly and sign a three-year contract, with an official announcement anticipated soon. Until City confirms the appointment, those details remain reported expectations rather than a completed public announcement. The distinction is small in practical terms, but it’s important for a story that has so far depended on negotiations between the clubs and reporting from outside them.
He has already been involved in City’s planning. The 46-year-old has coordinated summer recruitment with sporting director Hugo Viana, and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson could become a major early target. That involvement suggests the transition has progressed beyond an informal search for Guardiola’s replacement: the incoming manager is reportedly contributing to decisions that will shape the squad he inherits.
Anderson looks increasingly likely to arrive in a Premier League-record transfer, according to the source report. The reported link makes the recruitment process worth watching, but it doesn’t establish that a deal is done or explain what role City see for the midfielder. For Maresca, an early target would be one of the first visible tests of how his plans fit with the club’s existing priorities.
What the agreement means for City’s next phase
Here’s the thing: paying compensation resolves a practical hurdle, but it can’t answer the larger question of how City will adapt after Guardiola. A successor will inherit expectations shaped by his tenure, while also needing authority to establish his own methods and priorities. That’s a demanding balance for any appointment, and a reported fee alone tells us little about how well Maresca will manage it.
This is more significant than it looks. City’s reported willingness to pay Chelsea shows that the club is prepared to spend heavily to secure its preferred option and get the succession process settled. Yet the size of the payment shouldn’t be mistaken for proof that the choice will work. In managerial recruitment, a costly agreement can secure access to a candidate; it can’t guarantee results, support inside the club, or a smooth handover.
(And this is the part most people overlook.) The timing of recruitment matters because a manager’s influence starts before the first match: squad planning, conversations with senior staff and decisions about which players fit the team all shape the opening phase of a tenure. If you’re working in this space, the reported coordination with Viana may be as telling as the compensation figure. It points to a process already under way, even as the formal appointment remains pending.
There’s still a gap between a reported agreement and confirmation. For now, the clearest read is that City and Chelsea have settled the central financial obstacle, while Maresca’s expected contract and arrival are still awaiting an official announcement. The next signal will come from the clubs.
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