Enzo Maresca promises to lead Leicester’s Premier League campaign
Enzo Maresca is planning for the Premier League with Leicester City after assuring senior officials of his commitment to the club.
The manager will reject offers from European clubs this summer to fully focus on establishing the Championship title winners back in the top division.
Despite leading the club to promotion, there have been some doubts over the 44-year-old Italian’s future with the club facing punishment for breaching financial rules.
Leicester were charged by the Premier League with an alleged breach of Profitability and Sustainability Rules [PSR] in March and could start the new season with a points deduction.
That uncertainty has alerted clubs over Maresca’s availability, with Sevilla, Porto and other clubs abroad monitoring the former Manchester City coach ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Yet Maresca held talks with Leicester’s chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha during a post-season trip to Monaco and is in advanced talks over plans for the summer.
Leicester are finalising a pre-season training camp in Europe and Maresca has advised on new contracts for leading scorer Jamie Vardy and Denmark international Jannik Vestergaard.
Abdul Fatawa, the loan signing from Sporting, is poised to complete a permanent move this summer for about £14m.
Leicester are under a transfer embargo imposed by the Football League for alleged breaches of PSR. That embargo restricts clubs from negotiating new contracts but the ban will be lifted next month and Leicester are likely to accelerate talks then.
Vardy is expected to sign a fresh 12-month deal after initial talks with the club hierarchy.
The former England international will be 38 in January but underlined his importance to Maresca’s squad in the final months of the season.
Maresca has also pushed for Vardy to be offered new terms and an agreement is said to be close.
Vestergaard is also poised to sign a new deal after revitalising his Leicester career in the past 12 months under the Italian.
Manchester City defender Callum Doyle and Galatasaray winger Yunus Akgun will return to their parent clubs after their loan deals.
Leicester must also make decisions on the futures of a number of other players out of contract.
Marc Albrighton, one of the club’s few remaining title winners from 2015/16, is set to leave while the futures of Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Dennis Praet are also uncertain.
