Enzo Maresca convinced Chelsea bosses to hire him after providing detailed plan to transform one player

Enzo Maresca convinced Chelsea bosses to hire him after he revealed a plan to get the most out of a struggling Chelsea star.

Chelsea shocked supporters last week by announcing that manager Mauricio Pohcettino had left the club by mutual consent.

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain coach spent just one season at Stamford Bridge in which he guided the club to a sixth-place finish and a return to Europe, albeit in the UEFA Conference League.

The two parties decided to part ways due to disagreements about Pochettino's wider influence at the club; he wanted to have a greater say on transfers, whereas Chelsea want to follow a head coach model.

Club owners Clearlake Capital and the consortium led by Todd Boehly have wasted no time finding a replacement, with Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca set to be appointed as early as this week.

Leicester have reportedly given Chelsea permission to speak to the 44-year-old Italian after Chelsea identified him as their prime target ahead of Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank.

Chelsea spoke to Ipswich coach Kieran McKenna, but he looks set to sign a new contract with the Premier League new boys.

Chelsea officials will hold further talks with Maresca in Marbella, where he is on holiday, and if all goes well they are expected to offer him a five-year contract.

Once reaching an agreement with Maresca, Chelsea will continue discussion with Leicester over a compensation package worth around £10 million.

According to The Standard, Maresca became Chelsea's top candidate after sharing his plans for - among other things -getting the best out of midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

The Argentina World Cup-winner is currently recovering from surgery on a hernia problem that blighted the second half of his first full Chelsea campaign.

The 23-year-old is yet to fully settle and has only shown glimpses of the talent that persuaded Chelsea to spend £106.8 million on him in early 2023.

Fernandez has struggled to build a partnership with Moises Caicedo, but Maresca reportedly outlined several system tweaks that would allow the players to thrive at Stamford Bridge.

Though Maresca has managed just 53 matches in England and none in the Premier League, Chelsea bosses like the coach's tactical outlook and his experience of working as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City.