Guardiola announced on May 22 that he would step down as City manager after a decade full of titles, and Maresca quickly emerged as the main candidate to take over the role.
Talks are at an advanced stage, with directors from both clubs discussing a compensation package for the Italian’s departure.
The 46-year-old won the Club World Cup and Conference League during his time at Stamford Bridge, but left the club in January and is keen to take charge at the Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea understands that they are entitled to compensation under the terms of Maresca’s departure, who had a contract until 2029 and left the team just six months ago.
The London club has been analyzing its legal options and is counting on paying a compensation package, although the exact amount nor the deadline for resolving the case is still unclear.
Maresca served as Guardiola’s assistant in City’s Triplet campaign in the 2022-23 season and played an important role in the club’s academy before moving up to the first team.
The former West Brom and Juventus midfielder left City in 2023 to manage Leicester, who he took back to the Premier League in his only season in charge.
What delays the appointment?
Maresca’s last six months at Chelsea were marked by a frayed relationship with the club’s board.
Compensation negotiations became more complicated because Chelsea became aware of City’s interest in October and December.
Chelsea sources also claim that they were aware of Maresca’s complaints about the signing policy at Stamford Bridge.
It is unknown whether this influenced his departure, but the relationship continued to deteriorate over a number of issues, including the medical department and team choices.
Despite the tensions, club sources say that the board still respected much of Maresca’s work with the players and that he remained popular with the majority of the squad.
The club believes that instability played a central role in the drop in performance after his departure, which resulted in the absence of a place in European competitions.
Maresca even appeared open to renewing his contract at the beginning of the season, amid inquiries from Juventus, from the Italian Serie A.
What is Anderson’s situation?
City had an initial bid rejected by Nottingham Forest for midfielder Elliot Anderson last week.
The 23-year-old England international tops the club’s list of midfield targets following the departure of captain Bernardo Silva, and sources indicate a new offer is likely to come soon.
City have admired Anderson for a long time and should not back down from a high fee, which could become a record for a British player.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is known for being a tough negotiator and wants to surpass the £105m Arsenal paid West Ham for Declan Rice in 2023.
Anderson is currently at the World Cup, but England coach Thomas Tuchel has stated that squad members will be allowed to complete transfers as long as it does not significantly affect the team’s preparations.
BBC Sport had previously reported that Anderson is leaning towards a move to City rather than rivals Manchester United.
