Jamie Carragher risks further wrath of Chelsea fans by claiming Man City target Enzo Maresca WILL leave Stamford Bridge before next season

Maresca, who is under contract until 2029, has stated that he "100 per cent" expects to be in charge of the Blues when the 2026–27 campaign gets underway. He says there is no substance to the reports suggesting that he could be lured back to the Etihad Stadium for a third spell - having previously worked in City’s academy and alongside Guardiola.

He has, however, aired grievances in public of late - claiming to lack the kind of support that a man who has delivered Conference League glory and Champions League qualification deserves. Carragher can only see one ending to that story.

The Liverpool legend has said in his column for The Telegraph: "Curious that we hear him linked with the Manchester City job next summer – even with Guardiola still in place and the title race going strong. I note with interest that Maresca recently switched his representation to Jorge Mendes. There would be no ambitious coach in the world who would turn down the chance to manage the fantastic squad at City, although a few who might privately fear being the man after Pep.

"Maresca’s remarks after Chelsea’s win over Everton on Saturday suggested real unhappiness behind the scenes. He would not say who it was he felt had not supported him in that run of four games without a win since the victory over Barcelona – but it was easy to work out. It was the owners – Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly. It was also the sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. That was before his name was mentioned in connection with the City job.

"I said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football that I did not expect Maresca to be at Chelsea next season and nothing that has happened this week has changed my mind. Chelsea have a big game tomorrow at Newcastle United with both managers under a degree of pressure and Eddie Howe, like Maresca, dealing with an ownership that has its unique way of doing things."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Carragher went on to say of interference from above potentially nudging Maresca towards the exits: "Chelsea managers have to understand that there is no change from the days when Roman Abramovich would hire and fire coaches. In fact, you could say that it has become even more ruthless. The Eghbali-Boehly ownership sacked Mauricio Pochettino because they wanted an energetic and hands-on coach and they got that in Maresca. What they did not want – and still do not – is a manager in the traditional sense.

"Maresca is a very accomplished coach. You can see that on his best days when he has beaten Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona over the last six months. But that ability is never going to translate into greater power over the Chelsea hierarchy. He was hired as a coach and, as long as he remains, he will stay a coach.

"I am told that Eghbali and the sporting directors have a debrief with Maresca after every match – asking about team selection and substitutions. Owners and directors have the right to ask managers about the team and every club will have done that to some extent. But after every game? I can see why a coach or a manager would start to lose patience. The club, for their part, say the meetings after games are more about showing solidarity with the manager."

On Maresca ruffling feathers at Chelsea, Carragher said of what that could mean for future plans at the Bridge: "At Chelsea, history tells us that in any struggle for power there will only be one winner – and it will not be the coach. That does not stop successful coaches like Maresca railing against what they see as the unfairness of the system, but in the end the outcome is always the same."

Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table at present, 13th in the Champions League standings and are through to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. They face a testing run in their next four games, with Newcastle, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Manchester City seeing them through the busy festive period and into the new year.