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Kieran McKenna was also a contender but the man who has just led Ipswich Town to back-to-back promotions has withdrawn from the race.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…
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