Enzo Maresca is officially Chelsea boss, meaning Leicester City can now push to identify and appoint the manager who will lead their fight for Premier League survival
Leicester City are said to have spoken to West Brom’s Carlos Corberan as their search for a new manager intensifies.
City’s hunt for Enzo Maresca’s successor was expected to ramp up once his exit had been sealed, with the Italian announced as Chelsea’s new man on Monday. Only 24 hours later, reports suggest City have spoken with Corberan as they look to fill their now vacant hotseat.
It’s understood that the Spaniard, who led the Baggies to the play-offs this season, is under consideration at the King Power Stadium. And Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri is now reporting that discussions have taken place.
Interest in Corberan indicates the club are willing to pay a compensation fee to get the man they want, even amid their concerns around Profit and Sustainability rules. Suggestions that it would cost around £4m to get Corberan out of the Hawthorns are thought to be close to accurate.
Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is the bookmakers’ favourite as things stand, albeit he may be reluctant to take the job given his ties to the City Ground. There is a long-standing interest in Graham Potter, who remains at short odds, alongside the likes of OH Leuven’s Oscar Garcia and former PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.
City said in their statement on Maresca that they were looking for a manager who would “lead our return to the Premier League and continue the implementation of our long-term vision”. That perhaps suggests that the club are not seeking a survival specialist to try to steer the club away from relegation in what is expected to be a tough season.
When Maresca was first appointed, he said chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha and director of football Jon Rudkin did not discuss an immediate return to the Premier League, with their focus purely on changing the style of play. That further suggests that any new appointment will align with Maresca’s values.
Recounting his interview with City, the Italian said earlier this season: “No one mentioned promotion, I swear. When I first met the chairman and Jon Rudkin they never said we had to get promoted. The only thing they said is that we want to change our style. We want to build something new.”
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