CHELSEA have requested official permission to speak to Enzo Maresca.
The Italian, 44, has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Mauricio Pochettino after guiding Leicester City to promotion.
Now the Blues have asked the Championship title winners to speak to their boss about becoming their new manager.
Sun Sport understands that Maresca is close to leaving Leicester with talks between him and Chelsea at an advanced stage.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake will have to pay £10m compensation to get their man.
But that fee has not put them off as Maresca is their preferred candidate ahead of Roberto De Zerbi and Brentford’s Thomas Frank.
Kieran McKenna was also a contender but the man who has just led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions has withdrawn from the race.
Maresca, who has a £10million release clause in his deal, moved to the King Power from Manchester City's coaching staff last summer.
And he guided the club straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt as title winners.
Maresca has previously had a short stint as manager of Parma as well as working as a coach at West Ham.
Pochettino left the club on Tuesday by mutual consent following an end-of-season review with the owners and sporting directors.
We revealed previously how Chelsea’s owners are keen to have a new manager in place by the end of this week.
Now it is Maresca that looks set to become the third permanent managerial appointment for the club's American owners.
Chelsea’s squad shared their shock when Pochettino’s departure was announced last week.
The Argentine, who was only in charge for one season, survived an awful start to eventually guide the club to a sixth placed finish in the Premier League.
They also reached the Carabao Cup final, where they lost to Liverpool, and the FA Cup semi-final.
He had also secured them a return to European football next term courtesy of the Uefa Conference League.
More to follow…
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
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senbcklnoy
0
please bring Zidane 🙏
kowcdenopr
1
you can't say Bruno Saltar was a Chelsea manager, he only take care of a single game as an assistant for the club before Potter was sacked so then if he gat be counted as a manager then count those assistant of city that was in charge for city for a month while Pep was in hospital or an assistant that took charge of a match or 2 while the manager wasn't available. This is just hater trying to make the team worse. even Lampard was just a caretaker not a permanent manager.
Neitsizozumvu
0
Chelsea board are too ruthless...this man managerial career will be affected.. i m afraid
Zakclmpuz
1
Oliver Glasner or Ruben Amorim for my famous mighty Chelsea
Mimiklnot
1
this is so stupid from the Chelsea
Mimiklnot
2
this is nosense
Yorokiri
3
Chelsea,City,United and Liverpool... competition of the bald headed coaches...
padacelnpy
1
These new club owners don't deserve to own top clubs, they deserve a league two teams. very foolish
Adamsvictor
0
what happened to Emry
SEAN-DRE-OCHIM
1
Enzo Maresca haha😂 this is time to masaca Chelsea🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sakacmpty
0
Another sack loading
Iffy106
2
Chelsea pls get better Coach like Tuchel
fiyacdloy
4
bring in Jose Mourinho or Conte,Zidane,or Tucel or Nagelsmann or Emry
Tahdeiklz
1
He is not worthy to be Chelsea team manger we need our man to remain
dacblnorsu
0
this morning De Serbi was leading the race now it's Marresca, I am sure we will have another name in the evening, The Sun is the most useless tabloid to rely on for information
Zicdimrstu
1
Boelhy never learns why go for unproven guy when he could have stuck with Poch, am sure it would have been hard for Poch to win trophies but he was building the team which is what we need for now
LovinglyRais
5
Great and Thinkable 👌🏼. With Enzo on board, Chelsea will become Energized MaresChelsea 💯💪🏼💙
Vieeilmp
0
Not worthy 😔🤦