Chelsea can use Maresca to complete four transfers including Liverpool hijack

Should Chelsea get their own way, Enzo Maresca will take over from Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge as their new head coach. Nothing is yet agreed between the Leicester City boss and Chelsea but a move does seem imminent.

football.london understands that sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are expected to fly to Spain to negotiate a deal for Maresca. The former Manchester City coach has emerged as the first-choice candidate having impressed the club hierarchy.

Should all go to plan then Maresca will sign a five-year contract, football.london understands, three more than the two that Pochettino was given. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital seem to be going ‘all in’ with the Leicester boss and they are incredibly likely to back their new head coach in the transfer market.

Maresca is expected to have an initial list of targets to improve the Chelsea squad. A new centre-forward is likely to be at the top of the club’s list but we could see a different approach to the transfer window under the Italian.

After winning the Championship with Leicester last term, he arrives at Stamford Bridge with good knowledge of the quality in the second flight. Many of the division’s top players are expected to be on Premier League clubs’ radars this summer and Maresca may himself also turn to them.

Perhaps the most obvious is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The midfielder was Leicester’s best player last season and has publicly gone on record to admire Maresca and his work. Utilised in the No.8 role by Maresca, the academy graduate could be eyed-up by Chelsea with Leicester likely to sell to ease their FFP concerns.

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Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville is another standout name from the Championship last season. The Dutchman was named the league’s Player of the Season and has already been linked with moves to Liverpool and Newcastle.

His 19 goals and nine assists for Leeds was not enough to help them back to the big time meaning he’s incredibly likely to leave this summer. An obvious talent, Summerville is an ideal target to strengthen Chelsea’s options out wide – and would see the Blues trump rivals Liverpool to his signature.

Another option wide could be Jack Clarke. The Sunderland star was linked with a move to Leicester under Maresca and after netting 15 goals for the Black Cats, interest from the Premier League is once again expected.

Clarke, who struggled to make a name for himself at Tottenham, has evolved as a clinical attacker in recent years and would fit the English quota for Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier is another name who we could see linked with a move to west London. The Leeds shot-stopper was linked with a move to Chelsea previously and Maresca’s principle of using the goalkeeper as an extra player in his build-up means a new number one is probable.

Other names to keep an eye on are Gabriel Sara (Norwich City), Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) and Mads Hermansen (Leicester).