Manchester City are in talks with Chelsea over the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new manager, according to BBC Sport. It's the kind of story that makes you do a double take, because raiding a Premier League rival for their head coach is not something you see every day, and yet here we are.
Maresca has had a solid enough season at Chelsea, steering them into the Champions League after what has felt like years of chaos at Stamford Bridge. The Italian has brought some tactical identity to a squad that, frankly, has had more managers than most people have had hot dinners. So for City to come calling, it tells you two things. First, they clearly rate him highly. Second, finding a manager willing to step into the shoes Pep Guardiola left behind is proving trickier than anyone probably expected.
From City's perspective, this makes a certain kind of sense. They want someone with clear ideas, someone who has shown they can work with a big squad and get a tune out of expensive players who do not always perform to their price tag. Maresca has shown flashes of exactly that at Chelsea. Whether he can do it at the level City demand is a different question entirely, but the logic behind the interest is sound.
For Chelsea, though, this is a bit of a headache. They have just got some stability back, the fans are reasonably happy, and now their manager might be off to a direct rival before the season is even done. It is the kind of thing that would test the patience of any supporter. Then again, Chelsea owners have never been shy about change, so perhaps nobody at the Bridge will be too shocked.
As a United fan, watching City scramble around for a manager while also finding it quietly amusing is only natural. But in all honesty, if they land Maresca, they will have done well for themselves. He is a good coach and this could be a smart appointment.
Let me know your thoughts.