Enzo Maresca reportedly wants to make a £75,000-per-week Chelsea player the focal point of his team, as the former Pep Guardiola understudy begins plotting his Stamford Bridge vision.
Why Chelsea decided to appoint Enzo Maresca as new manager
The Italian, who guided Leicester City to the Championship title and Premier League promotion at the first time of asking last season, has now made the move to Stamford Bridge and will replace Mauricio Pochettino – who parted company around this time last week.
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Maresca has put pen to paper on a long-term five-year deal, much longer than the contract Pochettino was handed last year, which is a clear indicator of the Chelsea board's faith in their new manager.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley lead the charge for Pochettino's successor, with Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and the higher powers presumably green-lighting their decision to hire Maresca as the favoured candidate.
Games
53
Wins
36
Draws
4
Losses
13
Points on average per match
2.11
Chelsea talks were held with Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, and it is believed Brentford boss Thomas Frank was another standout name in the managerial recruitment process. However, certain things worked in Maresca's favour, as Fabrizio Romano explained this week.
“Never had any doubts despite some reports suggesting that maybe he wants to stay at Leicester," said Romano to CaughtOffside.
"Although he loves and respects Leicester, it’s been very clear ever since Chelsea entered this story that Maresca wants to be the next Chelsea manager. Maresca believes in the Chelsea project around young players with a big future, he thinks it is a really exciting project. Meanwhile, Chelsea are convinced he’s a super talented coach and that’s why he’s a name appreciated by both directors and owners, all convinced he can be the man for present and future.
“Maresca’s obsession with ball possession, quality football, dominating the game, his knowledge of elite football despite being a young manager – all of this made the difference for Chelsea to pick him."
Chelsea are rumoured to be in talks with Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo as they target Maresca'a first signing as head coach, while it is also claimed that Boehly is willing to pay around £19.5 million for Burnley keeper James Trafford.
Maresca wants to make Cole Palmer the focal point of his Chelsea team
Now, The Telegraph suggests he is a real fan of Cole Palmer – with the pair previously working together at Man City. The £75,000-per-week ace played a pivotal role last season, and it is believed Palmer will be the focal point of Maresca's 4-3-3 formation at Chelsea.
"He is a proper player, he will go anywhere on the pitch and take the ball, he backs himself," said pundit Joe Cole.
"Sometimes people can look at that with disdain, saying it's arrogance. It's not arrogance. We need it and we need more players like that."