Chelsea could have a new manager very soon.
The club have been looking for someone for the Stamford Bridge dugout after Mauricio Pochettino‘s exit last week.
Several names have been linked with the Chelsea job, but Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca is the man who is set to succeed Pochettino.
As per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are “almost there” with bringing the 44-year-old to west London.
Scott Minto, however, had another name in mind for the vacancy.
The manager Scott Minto would love at Chelsea
Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, were also said to be on Chelsea’s shortlist.
Minto does not think De Zerbi would be a good fit for the Chelsea board.
However, the former Blues defender has still admitted that he would love to see the Italian at Stamford Bridge.
Discussing De Zerbi on talkSPORT, he said: “I’d love to see him as Chelsea boss, I really would. I love his football, I love the way he tries to get them to play, I think Brighton have been great.
“They’re another team, by the way, that have had probably 10 injuries throughout the season. And people say, ‘Well, look at the form he’s had’ and six wins in 24, whatever it ended up being. Well I think if he had fit players and with the greatest respect because there are very good Brighton players there but a higher class of technical players, he would do even better.”
Enzo Maresca’s football could be similar to Roberto De Zerbi’s at Chelsea
Maresca and De Zerbi both like their teams to dominate the ball.
This season, Leicester’s average ball possession in the Championship was 62.2%, while Premier League outfit Brighton’s was 60.2%, according to WhoScored.
It may just be a matter of whether Maresca can make his possession-based football as exciting as De Zerbi’s.
If he can, Minto and others may come to accept Maresca, if they have not already.
Still, with De Zerbi being the one with Premier League experience as a manager, he probably would have been the safer bet. Chelsea clearly, though, have no issues with gambling on Maresca.
Multiple outlets, including The Guardian, have claimed that they are ready to give him a five-year contract. Now that is certainly what you call a gamble in this day and age of football.