Chelsea look set for a new style of play as they prepare to welcome Enzo Maresca from Leicester.
talkSPORT understands that the Blues are close to announcing the Italian as their new head coach to replace Mauricio Pochettino.
Maresca will leave Leicester after just one season in which they won the Championship to seal an instant return to the Premier League.
The 44-year-old previously worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City during their treble-winning 2022/23 campaign.
But he now looks set to take charge at Chelsea, and talkSPORT.com has looked at how the west London side could line up under him.
Maresca tends to play a 4-3-3 formation when out of possession, but when his team wins the ball, this can change to a 3-2-4-1.
One of the full-backs will invert into the midfield, with the two No.8s then pushing forward as they look to attack the opposition.
Starting in goal, Djordje Petrovic has been Chelsea’s first-choice for much of the season, but Maresca could look to bring one of his own with him from Leicester.
Foxes fans on social media have raised their concerns that it could be Mads Hermansen who follows, with the Dane strong with his feet and off the back of an impressive campaign in which he kept 13 clean sheets.
At full-back in the 4-3-3 formation, Marc Cucurella and Reece James could be the opted pairing on the left and right respectively.
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Not only can they both play at centre-back, they can also feature in midfield to help in a 3-2-4-1 – Cucurella did so towards the end of the season and James sometimes played in midfield on loan at Wigan.
Chelsea’s main centre-back duo could consist of Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana, who missed the entirety of the season with an ACL injury.
The Frenchman impressed when he played in his first season at Stamford Bridge and may be set for a fresh start under Maresca, with Colwill also a young yet, talented prospect to have already shown his worth.
Starting in the middle of the pitch could be Enzo Fernandez, who has spent much of the campaign playing further forward than many would have expected.
The 23-year-old could play in a more deeper role under Maresca though having found huge success there with Argentina in their World Cup win in 2022.
British record signing Moises Caicedo, as well as the injured Romeo Lavia, are also options for the new Chelsea boss, but Fernandez’s passing and ball play could give him the edge.
This means there may not be room for Conor Gallagher in central midfield, with the 24-year-old heavily linked with a summer exit amid interest from Aston Villa and Tottenham.
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In attacking midfield, the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season Cole Palmer is in line for an immediate starting role after amassing 40 goal contributions in his first season.
Palmer, along with Lavia, played under Maresca for the City U21s side and made a big impact as he scored 13 goals and assisted another six in 16 appearances.
Alongside him could be Christopher Nkunku, who endured an unlucky start to life at Chelsea amid various injury issues, but impressed when fit, scoring three goals in 14 appearances.
Mykhailo Mudryk may be set to feature on the left wing after an improved second season with the Blues that saw him score some crucial goals.
Aged 23, the Ukrainian is still a young player and given Maresca’s experience in youth coaching, this appointment could provide a huge boost to his progress.
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The same can be said with Noni Madueke, who has also stepped up his game following a quiet opening few months at Stamford Bridge.
He ended the season with eight goals from the right wing, including a curling strike against Maresca’s Leicester in their FA Cup quarter-final clash.
Nicolas Jackson was Chelsea’s second top scorer behind Palmer this season, with the Senegal international firing in 17 goals.
The Blues have long been linked with Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney, but Jackson’s efforts in his debut season at Chelsea could be rewarded in the form of the starting striker role under Maresca.