The season is over and we are already looking towards the future. Of course, if you are a Chelsea fan, there is not much to look back on fondly. The Blues finished 10th in the Premier League. And they did not win any form of silverware to salvage what was another poor display.
This is not three out of four times they have failed to qualify for the Champions League. In two of the seasons, they did not even make Europe. And both times, two managers exited in the middle of the campaign.
Back in 22/23, it was Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. This time around, it was Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. To be fair, the Italian is believed to have walked away, rather than being sacked, with more than three years left on his contract. And he might have always had his eye on the Manchester City job to begin with.
According to BBC Sport, Manchester City and Chelsea remain locked in negotiations about Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola. Talks are at an advanced stage, with senior figures at both clubs discussing a compensation package.
Chelsea will get compensation if Man City hire Maresca
Chelsea are due a compensation package as Maresca left with time left on his contract. It remains to be seen what kind of a figure that turns out to be.
Compensation for managers can be significant. In the past, Chelsea themselves have paid north of £20 million to bring in Potter and his team from Brighton & Hove Albion.
To be fair, that was a matter of bringing in an active manager from a club he had spent years at. In the case of Maresca, he has been sitting at home the past several months.
So, one cannot expect the compensation to be that high. And even if Chelsea’s demands are high, one would imagine Man City would be open to meeting them as they seem convinced Maresca is the guy to replace Guardiola.
Maresca vs Alonso, who will come out on top?
Of course, Chelsea are set to have a new manager in place as well. Xabi Alonso has been appointed the new manager of the club.
After Rosenior was sacked, three months into his six-and-a-half-year contract, BlueCo knew that they needed to make an appointment that would get the fans back on their side. They managed that with Alonso.
Ultimately, it all comes down to winning things at Chelsea. If Alonso can deliver that, it will go down as a great appointment. If he fails, it won’t take long for the fans to turn.
The club’s failures over the last four seasons mean that fans are already frustrated. So, Alonso might get even less time to prove himself, at least in the eyes of the supporters.
