Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is reportedly attracting interest from one of Serie A’s biggest clubs.
Last summer, Maresca replaced Mauricio Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge dugout and penned a five-year contract with the option of a 12-month extension.
In his 54 matches in charge, the Italian has won 32 times, losing 13, with Chelsea still fighting to secure Champions League qualification and win the Conference League.
However, the 45-year-old is still to win over a significant portion of the Blues fanbase, there having been no middle ground with his style of football either being deemed exciting or boring due to the team’s focus on possession.
As of right now, there have been no indications that another change of head coach could be in the offing, yet TEAMtalk suggests that Maresca may receive an opportunity elsewhere.
© Imago
Which Serie A club want Maresca?
The report claims that Maresca has admirers behind the scenes at Roma with the club actively pursuing a replacement for Claudio Ranieri.
In November, the 73-year-old came out of retirement to take over his boyhood club for the third time and has since recorded 22 wins from 37 matches in all competitions.
Nevertheless, the veteran will be taking on a behind-the-scenes role at Stadio Olimpico next season, regardless of how Roma end 2024-25.
Ranieri has allegedly recommended Maresca to the club’s owners, who subsequently deem that he has the profile that they are craving.
That said, it is stressed that such an appointment will only become realistic if Chelsea decide to part ways with Maresca, something which appears unlikely at this stage.
© Imago
Would Maresca be tempted to leave Chelsea?
Despite his Italian roots, the general consensus would be that Maresca would not necessarily jump at a chance to return to his homeland at this stage of his career.
Maresca is viewed as a long-term feature of the Chelsea project and it would make little sense to dispense with him having worked to develop a young squad since July.
A poor end to the season may change opinions at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca will be solely focused on continuing to build at Chelsea rather than accepting any offer from Roma, albeit one that would be more attractive if Roma can qualify for the Champions League.
As it stands, they sit one point adrift of fourth-placed Juventus in the Serie A table with two matches remaining.
