Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has responded to an approach by Juventus this week as the Serie A giants search for Igor Tudor’s replacement.
It’s been an extremely mixed start to 2025/2026 for Maresca after delivering two major trophies in the space of a few months earlier this year.
A win of four straight wins in all competitions before their damning loss to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last weekend best sums up their inconsistency thus far, with Chelsea only just getting past Premier League bottom side Wolves in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The west Londoners were 3-0 up and cruising thanks to first-half goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao, but the home side seriously threatened an unlikely comeback when Tolu Arokodare and David Wolfe pulled it back to 3-2.
Summer signing Jamie Gittens was then on hand to score Chelsea’s fourth and his first ever goal for the club, which ultimately sealed their place in the quarter-finals, even if Wolfe bagged another for Wolves in added time to make Maresca’s side sweat.
The 4-3 win at Molineux was overshadowed somewhat by Liam Delap’s needless red card, with Maresca lambasting his two bookable offences as “embarrassing”.
“It’s embarrassing when it is a red card like today. It’s embarrassing, two yellow cards in seven minutes. Both I think we can avoid,” said a furious Maresca post-match.
“After the first yellow card I told him to four or five times ‘keep calm’, but he’s a player when he is inside the pitch, probably he is playing the game for himself and he struggled to realise and to listen around him.”
Delap is now set to miss Chelsea’s crunch clash against Tottenham this weekend through suspension, despite only just returning to the fold after weeks on the treatment table with a hamstring injury.
Away from the pitch, Juve are believed to have contacted Maresca’s entourage on the same day that Chelsea edged past Wolves.
Enzo Maresca responds to Juventus approach with Chelsea demands clear
Reports earlier this season suggested Maresca’s long-term future at Chelsea is far from certain, with tensions existing between the Italian and his club hierarchy.
As well as this, journalist Simon Phillips reported that both Cole Palmer and Reece James aren’t fully behind Maresca’s methodology, so if results continue to be topsy-turvy, this situation is worth keeping an eye on.
Now, Phillips has provided another update on the 45-year-old’s future.
Writing via his Substack, the reporter shares news that Juve approached Maresca’s camp on Wednesday amid their search for a new manager.
However, the tactician’s response is clear — he’s not looking to leave midway through the campaign.
While a move to Turin at the end of the season isn’t ruled out, Chelsea will demand a huge compensation fee — which could reach up to £10 million.
“Enzo Maresca has been at the top of Juventus’ list for their new manager, but they knew that he is not attainable mid-season,” Phillips wrote.
“This has not stopped them making contact with Maresca’s people in recent days. However, the word from Maresca is that at the moment he is not looking to make any changes to his current situation right now.
“Our sources further understand that the talks have more centered around a move for Maresca in the summer, at the end of this season. Juventus would love to bring Maresca in at the end of the season and are trying to see if it would be possible.
“As per our friends sources at The Blues Feed, Juventus were in contact with Maresca’s entourage as recent as yesterday (Wednesday). And per their sources further, Chelsea would ask for £8m-£10m in compensation should they release Maresca from his contract.
“For that to happen, Maresca would have to go to them and tell them he wants to go. At the moment, on Maresca and on Chelsea’s side, the aim and plan is to at least see out this season and both reassess at the end of the season.”
Chelsea are braced for a crucial run of games from now till the end of November, including Spurs, Arsenal and La Liga champions Barcelona in the Champions League.
Given their pretty weak defence and lack of options, particularly at centre-back, the Blues could also look to reinforce Maresca’s ranks in January.
