Enzo Maresca ‘ticks all the boxes’ to be next Chelsea manager as talks with Leicester boss reach advanced stage

Chelsea are keen to appoint Enzo Maresca as their new manager, according to talkSPORT.

Leicester boss Maresca’s possession-based style has made him first choice among the west London hierarchy.

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talkSPORT understands Chelsea have started negotiations with Leicester over compensation.

And he is the preferred candidate ahead of former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank, who they have also spoken to.

And their former left-back Scott Minto has explained why he thinks the Italian is ideal to take the reins.

Reacting to the news of Maresca’s links with Chelsea, their former defender believes he would be a much better proposition than De Zerbi at Stamford Bridge.

“Can you imagine De Zerbi working with the Chelsea hierarchy right now?” he told talkSPORT. “He (didn’t want to) take it or interview because (the board) would say ‘we can’t have this guy because he won’t let us do what we want to do.’

“Secondly, he wouldn’t last a year. I think a lot of Chelsea fans will think ‘you know what, we want a world-class manager out of the box’, which is what they had in the (Roman) era Abramovich.

“The problem is that this is not the way to go and a ready-made world-class manager will not agree to the terms and conditions, it’s as simple as that.

“I think it will be Maresca.”

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Explaining why Chelsea would go for the Leicester manager, Minto said: “I think Enzo Maresca ticks the boxes that the Chelsea owners are looking for.

“He will be more likely to agree to the terms and conditions while still being a very good coach.”

talkSPORT has reported that the Foxes will seek £7.5million in compensation for their boss, whose possession-based football has been a key attraction to the Chelsea hierarchy.

talkSPORT understands that Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who was heavily linked with Chelsea, is no longer a candidate to fill the vacancy at Stamford Bridge.

Mauricio Pochettino left the club by mutual consent last week despite leading Chelsea to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League.