Leicester City are confident of keeping manager Enzo Maresca at the club for next season.
That’s according to a report from Football Insider, who say that the Foxes are planning to hand the 44-year-old a new contract.
Maresca was appointed as Leicester manager last summer, replacing Dean Smith in the dugout at The King Power Stadium.
That saw the Italian leave his role as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, to take on his first senior managerial role in English football.
He arrived at Leicester with the club having just suffered relegation from the Premier League to the Championship.
However, Maresca has seen a rapid turnaround at the club, and a 3-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale on Monday night, ensured that Leicester have secured an immediate return to the top-flight of English football as Championship title winners.
That has already seen the Foxes boss attract attention from elsewhere. Recent reports have claimed that La Liga side Sevilla are keen on his services.
Having spent four years of his playing career with the Spanish club, there is certainly a connection there for Maresca.
Even so, it appears Leicester are relaxed when it comes to the future of their manager, and are planning to take further steps to further secure his position.
Leicester’s Enzo Maresca stance revealed
According to this latest update, Leicester are confident about keeping Maresca, despite that interest from Sevilla.
It is thought that the Italian has earned the trust of the club’s board after guiding them to promotion.
As a result, they are now set to offer him a new contract as a reward for his success in guiding the club back to the Premier League.
That would of course, further ward off interest in his services from the likes of Sevilla. Maresca signed a three-year contract with Leicester last summer.
As a result, his future at The King Power Stadium is secure until the end of the 2025/26 season.
Leicester end their Championship campaign on Saturday afternoon at home to Blackburn Rovers, and know that a win in that game would see them end the season on exactly 100 points.
Hard to see Maresca leaving
It would feel like a surprise if Maresca was to leave Leicester this summer, despite that interest from one his former clubs in the form of Sevilla.
Of course, he has done what he was brought into this season, by getting the Foxes back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
However, that may be seen as only half the job, with the next task being to re-establish the club in the top-flight of English football.
Indeed, it is hard to see the Italian wanting to walk away from the chance to show what he can do in what many consider to be the best league in the world.
Even so, there may be some questions about giving him a new contract. Leicester have not always convinced this season, and there have been some wobbles, which they will not get away with in the Premier League.
It could even be argued that he has not fully won over the fanbase this season, with his style of play and certain results being criticised.
Withthat in mind, this may be something of a gamble that, with time remaining on his current contract, Leicester may not really need to take until they see how he fares next season.
