Reason Chelsea haven’t confirmed Enzo Maresca as manager with delay explained

Chelsea are still expected to announce Enzo Maresca as their new manager despite a drawn-out process to confirm his arrival at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues confirmed on May 22 that they had agreed to mutually part ways with Mauricio Pochettino after their end-of-season review had been completed. The news came as a shock to some after the Argentine head coach had managed to navigate a tricky start to life at Chelsea, winning seven of the last ten Premier League matches of the season to finish sixth.

Ultimately, Manchester United’s victory in the the FA Cup final denied Chelsea a place in Europe but a top-six finish was seen as an achievement considering how bad it was at one stage. The search for a new manager has taken place at a fast pace as owner Todd Boehly looked to bring in Pochettino’s successor as quickly as possible.

For the last week, it has become clear that Leicester City’s Championship title-winning manager Maresca would be the next head coach at Stamford Bridge but his announcement has not been forthcoming. This has led to concerns from some that the deal will not be completed.

However, it appears the delays are nothing more than a case of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on Saturday that there were still two last pieces of the puzzle to complete before an official unveiling. Firstly, Maresca is still to sign off on his new contract, which could be due to him being on holiday, and secondly, a compensation package with the Foxes is still to be finalised.

It is understood the Blues will be paying a fee in excess of £8.5m to secure their new manager from his current club. Despite both hurdles being pivotal to the announcement, they both appear to be formalities that will be sorted soon enough.