"City" settles on Guardiola's successor.

Manchester City is close to appointing Enzo Maresca as the new head coach of the team after reaching a verbal agreement with his former club Chelsea regarding a financial compensation, according to media reports.

Italian reports stated that Manchester City will pay the London club around £17 million ($22.5 million) to finalize the contract with the 46-year-old Maresca.

The coach himself, who has been available since leaving Chelsea at the New Year, is the preferred choice for Manchester City officials to succeed Guardiola, but an agreement must be reached with Chelsea, with whom he has a contract that ends in three seasons.

Enzo Maresca is expected to sign a three-year contract with Manchester City, which has not commented on a query from the British news agency (PA Media) regarding the accuracy of these reports.

Maresca was the leading candidate to be the coach of Manchester City as soon as Guardiola announced his departure in the final round of the 2025-2026 season.

Speculation has increased about the possibility of Maresca returning to Manchester City, as he had worked as an assistant coach to Guardiola for several months.

Away from Manchester City, Maresca led Leicester City to promotion to the Premier League in 2024, before guiding Chelsea to win the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.

The coach left Chelsea due to a decline in results and a strained relationship with the club's officials.

Maresca will face a significant challenge in succeeding the most successful coach in Manchester City's history, but his previous experience under Guardiola and his knowledge of the club's atmosphere and conditions make him the top candidate for this heavy responsibility.