Enzo Maresca has responded to the growing doubt surrounding his Chelsea future by branding reports that he could leave the club next summer as “100 per cent speculation” and insisting he is committed to staying at the Blues.
The Italian has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and it was reported by The Athletic this week that he could be a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City should the Catalan leave at the end of the season.
It comes after Maresca drew attention to unhappiness behind the scenes as the head coach responded to his side’s 2-0 win over Everton last week by revealing “the last 48 hours have been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because so many people didn’t support us”.
Maresca would not clarify those comments before or after Chelsea’s Carabao Cup quarter-final win at Cardiff in midweek and insisted it was business as usual ahead of his side’s trip to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.
“It doesn’t affect me at all because I know it’s 100 per cent speculation,” Maresca said at a news conference on Friday. “In this moment, there is no time for these kinds of things, first of all because I have a contract here until 2029.
“I said many times, my focus is just about this club and I’m very proud to be here. It’s speculation. One week ago, in Italy, it was the same with Juventus. I don’t pay attention because I know it’s not true.”
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