Manchester City and Chelsea in compensation talks over Enzo Maresca appointment

Manchester City are locked in compensation talks with Chelsea over the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their next manager, with the west London club refusing to grant a contractual release until an adequate financial settlement is reached.

Maresca left Stamford Bridge in January 2026, with three-and-a-half years remaining on his deal, after a turbulent spell in charge of Chelsea. Liam Rosenior replaced him on an interim basis before also departing the club months later. Because Maresca’s exit was not a mutual termination, Chelsea retain the right to seek compensation from his next employer — in this case, Manchester City.

The dispute centres on a seven-figure sum that Chelsea are demanding before they will sign off on a contractual release for the Italian. Without that release, Maresca cannot formally be announced as the successor to Pep Guardiola, who ended his reign at the Etihad Stadium at the conclusion of the 2025/26 season having added the FA Cup and Carabao Cup to his already remarkable haul of six Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy.

According to a report from Sky Sports journalists Kaveh Solhekol and Lyall Thomas, Manchester City are hopeful that a deal can be brokered between the two clubs’ legal teams by the end of this week. Should an agreement be reached as expected, City anticipate making a formal announcement as early as this weekend.

Chelsea are understood to be holding firm in negotiations, intent on extracting the largest possible settlement given that they hold the stronger contractual position. Until that figure is agreed upon, Maresca remains in a state of professional limbo — identified as City’s preferred candidate but unable to take the job.

Maresca faces a considerable challenge in following Guardiola, whose decade-long tenure at the Etihad redefined expectations for English football. The 44-year-old Italian previously won the Championship title with Leicester City before his appointment at Chelsea, where results proved inconsistent throughout his 18-month tenure.