Has Enzo Maresca agreed to join Man City? Update on Pep Guardiola successor hunt as Kolo Toure & Pep Lijnders leave the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City have accelerated their pursuit of a new manager, with Sky Sports reporting that the club are in ongoing discussions with Enzo Maresca this week. The Italian tactician is no stranger to the club, having served as assistant manager during the 2022-23 season. He later took charge of Leicester City, managing 53 matches with an impressive record of 36 wins, four draws, and 13 defeats before joining Chelsea.

Maresca departed London under acrimonious circumstances in January after overseeing 92 matches, securing 55 wins, 16 draws and 21 defeats. While final contract details remain unresolved, a resolution is anticipated soon. Substantial compensation will be required to finalise the move.

As negotiations progress, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson expressed his absolute confidence in the potential managerial appointment. He said: "I liked him at Chelsea. I thought he was a good manager. He's going into Man City, he's been there before, he's worked in the Premier League before. He knows some of the players at City. I think he ticks every box. He's not coming in trying to get used to the place, he's not coming into a league that he's never been in. I think he'll go in and settle quite nicely. They'll need a few players as well. But this is the problem: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Man United, Chelsea all need players. There's not that many players around. Who's going to be able to produce and give the most money to these players?"

On Tuesday, Manchester City officially confirmed the departure of five key backroom staff members following the conclusion of the season. Pep Lijnders and Kolo Toure, who both arrived to support the first team, are leaving the Etihad Stadium. They are joined by fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura, operations personnel Manel Estiarte, and head of goalkeeping Xabi Mancisidor.

This exodus follows a challenging season where Guardiola departed after failing to win the Premier League title, which Arsenal secured. The club also suffered an early exit in the Champions League, meaning they ultimately had to settle for lifting just the League Cup and FA Cup.

Guardiola will now take a well-deserved break away from football to rest and spend time with his family. Meanwhile, Manchester City have to finalise their legal arrangements with Chelsea to officially announce Maresca as their new boss. Once confirmed, the incoming manager will immediately begin restructuring his staff and preparing for the upcoming Premier League campaign.