Enzo Maresca is Chelsea’s top target to fill their vacant manager position, according to reports.
But whilst some Blues fans aren’t overly enamoured by the idea of the Leicester boss, their former left back Scott Minto has explained why he will be the next man to take the reins.
talkSPORT understands Chelsea asked Leicester for permission to speak to Pep Guardiola’s former Manchester City assistant last week.
Now, the Telegraph are reporting he’s close to leaving Championship title winners Leicester to take over at Stamford Bridge and talks are now at an advanced stage.
The report states he is the preferred candidate over ex-Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank.
Reacting to the news of Maresca’s links to Chelsea, their former defender Minto thinks it will be the Foxes boss who will replace Mauricio Pochettino, given De Zerbi would not work well at Stamford Bridge.
“Can you imagine De Zerbi working with the Chelsea hierarchy right now?” he told talkSPORT. “He [wouldn’t] accept it or get past the interview because [the board] would say ‘we can’t have this guy because he won’t let us do what we want to do’.
“Two, he wouldn’t last a year. I think a lot of Chelsea fans will be thinking ‘do you know what, we want a ready made world class manager’ which is what they had under the [Roman] Abramovich era.
“The problem is, that’s not the way they’re going to go and a ready made world class manager is not going to accept the terms and conditions, it’s as simple as that.
“I think it will be Maresca.”
Explaining why Chelsea will go for the Leicester manager, Minto said: “I do think Enzo Maresca ticks the boxes the Chelsea owners are looking for.
“He’ll be most likely to accept the terms and conditions whilst being a very good coach.”
talkSPORT reported the Foxes will want £7.5million in compensation for their boss, whose possession-based football has been a key attraction for Chelsea’s hierarchy.
talkSPORT understands Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who had been heavily linked to Chelsea, is no longer a candidate to fill the vacant role at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino left the club by mutual consent last week despite driving Chelsea to a sixth place finish in the Premier League.
News Summary:
- Enzo Maresca ‘ticks all the boxes’ to be next Chelsea manager as talks with Leicester boss reach advanced stage
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.