Some managerial eras feel like they’ll last forever.
And then one day, the signs begin to point toward an ending.
And the man being lined up to step into the biggest dugout in English football is someone who already knows the club better than almost anyone.
Enzo Maresca in talks with Manchester City as Pep Guardiola departure edges closer
According to talkSPORT, Enzo Maresca is already in talks with Manchester City about succeeding Pep Guardiola, with several well-placed sources confirming that high-level conversations between the Italian and the club have already taken place.
Maresca is described as the clear frontrunner for the role.
And he’s reportedly optimistic about finding work this summer.
So, a return to the Etihad is the likeliest outcome, if Guardiola decides to call time on his historic tenure.
Guardiola still has a year remaining on his contract.
However, there is a growing feeling within football that this summer will be the moment he walks away.
And Manchester City are making sure they’re not caught off guard.
The club’s sporting director Hugo Viana is leading the succession planning.
And the direction of travel has been pointing toward Maresca for some time.
He served as Guardiola’s assistant when the club lifted the Champions League trophy in 2023, he was there at the very peak of what this project has produced.
He then went on to win the Championship title with Leicester City with a staggering 97 points before being appointed at Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge, despite a turbulent ending, he delivered Champions League qualification, the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Guardiola himself called Maresca “one of the best managers in the world” as recently as last December.
The club are monitoring Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez as a transfer target, which could spark Maresca to join City.
The next chapter, it appears, is being written at the Etihad.
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