If Pep Guardiola departs the Etihad Stadium next summer, Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is one of the top candidates being considered by Manchester City.
Expectations are growing that this will be Guardiola's final season at Manchester City. The final decision is likely to be made towards the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Manchester City is advancing contingency plans for Guardiola's departure.
Maresca has coached both Manchester City's youth team and first team, so he is still highly regarded by the club's senior management. If a vacancy arises, he is expected to be one of the main candidates, though he is not the only contender.
Guardiola's contract expires in June 2027, thanks to a new deal he signed in November 2024 that extended the remaining six months of his expiring contract.
This has given both parties time to consider their options, and historically, the 54-year-old coach usually decides on his future relatively late.
There is no indication yet that the more than 100 alleged breaches of Premier League rules against Manchester City (which the club strongly denies) will have any impact on Guardiola's position.
Maresca is no stranger to the ten-time Premier League champions. He has coached Manchester City twice and worked with the club both before and after his tenure at Serie A side Parma. He managed Manchester City U21s during the 2020-21 season and returned to the first team as an assistant coach in the summer of 2022.
The Italian coach's contract with Chelsea runs until 2029, with a 12-month extension option. However, he recently described the build-up to Saturday's home win over Everton as "the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people don't support us," casting a shadow over his contract prospects.
At the subsequent press conference, he refused to elaborate further on the matter, but he has repeatedly expressed his affection for Chelsea fans, most recently after the League Cup quarter-final away win over Cardiff City on Tuesday.
The 45-year-old Maresca changed agents this autumn, moving to so-called "super agent" Jorge Mendes, a move aimed at supporting his coaching career.
