Man City Land Enzo Maresca on Initial Three-Year Verbal Agreement
Enzo Maresca has agreed in principle to become Manchester City’s next head coach, and the Italian is set to sign an initial three-year deal at the Etihad Stadium. The 46-year-old ex-Chelsea boss’s move to Manchester has officially received the seal of approval from numerous reports, ending long-standing speculation over Pep Guardiola’s successor at the Premier League giants.
City sporting director Hugo Viana has been quietly overseeing a long-term succession process for months and has reportedly identified the Italian as the top candidate to replace Guardiola in the future. Maresca’s appointment is the culmination of that process.
The Salerno-born tactician knows the Etihad corridors well, having been one of Guardiola’s assistants during the historic 2022-23 treble-winning season where City claimed the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. He then took Leicester City to the Championship title in 2024 before joining Chelsea, winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, before leaving in January 2026.
Earlier reports, however, had provided a somewhat different framework. Maresca was thought to have signed a two-year deal with an option for a third. New updates now confirm that the full three-year structure is verbally agreed.
Pep Guardiola Bids Farewell After 10 Years of Dominance
Pep Guardiola will leave the Etihad following the final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa, according to reports. The 55-year-old Spaniard came to Manchester in summer 2016 from Bayern Munich and proceeded to redefine the club’s identity, instilling a possession-based philosophy that has since become the global benchmark.
In total, he has won 20 major trophies, which is quite staggering; six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five EFL Cups, three FA Community Shields, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. His defining moment came in 2022-23 when City completed the historic treble, the first time an English team had done so since Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side in 1999.
Guardiola is expected to leave a year early on his contract, which runs until 2027, due to sporting and emotional fatigue. With Arsenal all but certain to be crowned Premier League champions, the Cityzens’ hierarchy may even make the announcement official by failing to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, ushering in the Maresca era.
