Enzo Maresca returns to Manchester City in three-year deal

Manchester City brought Enzo Maresca back to the Etihad Stadium on a three-year contract and agreed to pay Chelsea more than £17m in compensation, while Maresca also made an undisclosed personal payment to his former club. The structure of the deal showed how elite clubs now treat top coaches as transfer-grade assets, not just employees.

Chelsea said Maresca first raised the possibility of moving to Manchester City in October 2025, then resigned in December with 3½ years left on his contract. He left on 1 January 2026 after a spell that Chelsea later described as disruptive, saying the change of head coach over the Christmas period had forced the club to alter course midway through the season. Chelsea said it accepted his resignation to protect players, supporters and the badge.

Maresca had joined Chelsea on 3 June 2024 on a five-year contract with a club option for a further year. In one full season at Stamford Bridge, he led the club to the UEFA Conference League title and the FIFA Club World Cup title, but Chelsea also judged the 2025-26 campaign to be hugely disappointing as the club fell short in its pursuit of Champions League qualification. The financial terms of his exit underline how much leverage now sits inside long coaching contracts: Chelsea had secured him on a long deal, yet still collected a fee larger than many lower-tier player transfers when he left.

City’s decision also pointed to a different calculation. Maresca knew the club well before returning, having coached Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad to the 2021 Premier League 2 title and served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during the treble-winning 2023 season. He then built his own record at Leicester City, guiding them to the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League before his move to Chelsea. Guardiola had previously backed his coaching prospects and said Maresca had earned the opportunity at Stamford Bridge.

For Manchester City, the appointment was as much about continuity as it was about change. Maresca returned with a deep familiarity with the club’s methods, but he also arrived after proving he could win in different settings, from Leicester’s promotion push to Chelsea’s European and global success. Maresca said City was a club he knew very well, called the job a brilliant opportunity and said he wanted the team to win, play good football and enjoy the pressure of representing Manchester City.