Leicester City ‘speak to Carlos Corberan’ as manager hunt ramps up and Enzo Maresca drops clue

Enzo Maresca is officially Chelsea’s manager, and Leicester City may now try to identify and select the manager who will lead their quest for Premier League survival.

Leicester City are thought to have spoken with West Brom’s Carlos Corberan as their hunt for a new manager continues. City’s search for Enzo Maresca’s replacement was expected to intensify once his departure was confirmed, with the Italian revealed as Chelsea’s new manager on Monday. Only 24 hours later, indications say that City has contacted with Corberan about filling their now-vacant hot seat. It is understood that the Spaniard, who guided the Baggies to the play-offs this season, is being considered at the King Power Stadium. And Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has now reported that negotiations have taken place.

Interest in Corberan suggests that the club is willing to pay a compensation price to get the player they want, despite reservations about Profit and Sustainability guidelines. Suggestions that it would cost roughly £4 million to get Corberan out of the Hawthorns are regarded to be fairly realistic.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is the bookmakers’ favourite right now, though he may be hesitant to take the post given his ties to the City Ground. Graham Potter, OH Leuven’s Oscar Garcia, and former PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy have long been linked with the position.

In their statement on Maresca, City stated that they were looking for a manager who would “lead our return to the Premier League and continue the implementation of our long-term vision”. That could indicate that the club is not looking for a survival specialist to help lead the club away from relegation in what is predicted to be a difficult season.

When Maresca was first appointed, he stated that chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha and director of football Jon Rudkin had not discussed an immediate return to the Premier League, instead focusing solely on improving the style of play. This means that any new appointment will be consistent with Maresca’s beliefs.

During his interview with City earlier this season, the Italian stated: “No one mentioned promotion, I swear.” When I first met the chairman and Jon Rudkin, they never mentioned that we had to be promoted. The only thing they mentioned was that we wanted to update our style. “We want to build something new.”

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