Chelsea is getting close to hiring a new manager and is almost finished negotiating the deal.

Chelsea, one of the top football clubs in the English Premier League, is making a big move to secure the services of Leicester City's head coach, Enzo Maresca. The club has been searching for a new head coach since the departure of Mauricio Pochettino at the beginning of the week. After extensive vetting and interviews, it seems that Maresca has emerged as the top candidate for the job.

Initially, there were talks of Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna being the front runner for the position, but with McKenna rumored to be waiting for the Manchester United job, the list was narrowed down to two names: Maresca and Brentford boss Thomas Frank. According to sources, Chelsea's hierarchy has now chosen Maresca and has requested permission from Leicester to speak to the 44-year-old about a potential contract.

Maresca, who led Leicester to win the Championship title with an impressive record of 97 points, is seen as the ideal fit for the squad. Despite his release clause being a hefty £10 million, Chelsea's board is impressed with his coaching style and is willing to pay the compensation. During the talks, Maresca's vision for the team and his emphasis on modern, progressive football stood out to the board.

The Italian manager has close ties to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, having previously worked as the club's Elite Development Squad manager in the 2020-21 season. He then went on to become the head coach at Parma, but was sacked after just 14 games. However, he returned to Manchester City as one of Guardiola's assistants in the summer of 2022 and played a key role in the club's historic treble-winning campaign.

Chelsea is eager to finalize the deal with Maresca as soon as possible and if everything goes smoothly, his appointment could be confirmed by the end of this week. The club is looking for a young and dynamic coach who can bring a possession-based style of play to the team, and Maresca fits the bill perfectly. With his impressive track record and close ties to Manchester City, Chelsea is confident that he can lead the team to success in the Premier League.

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