Luton Town Obviously becomes Leceister city’s Savior for Enzo Maresca replacement

The Foxes had an excellent 2023/24 season, as they managed to put their relegation from the Premier League behind them and secure promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking.

They did it under the guidance of Enzo Maresca, who had taken charge of his first side in England after spending a few years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.

Maresca put together a very talented squad that flew into an early lead at the top and managed to hold their nerve and secure the Championship title by picking up 97 points.

Leicester would have been hoping Maresca could work his magic once again and manage the club in the Premier League, but that seems highly unlikely now as the Italian closes in on the Chelsea job.

Enzo Maresca closes in on Chelsea appointment

It was reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein that Chelsea had given up on Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna, which meant that Enzo Maresca and Brentford’s Thomas Frank were the only contenders remaining.

Ornstein then reported on Monday evening that Leicester City had given the Premier League side permission to speak to Maresca about their head coach vacancy.

He added that the Italian is expected to agree to a five-year contract, and the Foxes will receive compensation from Chelsea, as the deal is expected to be completed this week.

This comes after Chelsea decided to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino last week, despite leading the club to an EFL Cup final, an FA Cup semi-final, and a sixth-place finish in the league.

But it now looks certain that Maresca will be leaving the King Power Stadium and taking over at Stamford Bridge for what will be only his second managerial job in England.

So, the Leicester hierarchy may soon be starting the process to appoint a new manager, and their search should take them to Luton Town’s Rob Edwards.

Leicester City should make Rob Edwards their top target to replace Maresca

The EFL season has only been over for a couple of weeks if you don’t include the play-offs, while the Premier League only finished last week, yet there has already been plenty of movement in terms of managers.

But now that Enzo Maresca is looking set to join Chelsea, the managerial merry-go-round isn’t over, and with the Foxes preparing for a Premier League campaign, they need to find a suitable candidate.

Leicester City did take a gamble in appointing Maresca last summer, as he was largely unproven as a manager, despite having a good record as a coach.

Now, it is unclear if the Foxes will be looking for a similar candidate or not, but one manager who could be a perfect fit is Rob Edwards, as he is a young, upcoming football manager, but he does have experience managing in the top flight.

The 41-year-old hasn’t been in the managerial game for long, but what he has done in the short time has been rather impressive.

Edwards impressed with Wolves’ under-18s before taking charge at Telford United and then back to Wolves, but this time their under-21s.

His first job in the EFL was at Forest Green Rovers, and it was sublime what he achieved there, as he guided the club to League Two promotion in his first and only season at the club. He then went to Watford, and while he didn’t last long, he was still rather impressive, and it wasn’t too long before he was back in the dugout, this time at Luton Town.

Edwards took the Hatters to the Premier League, and while they were relegated this season, they didn’t go out with a whimper, as they came ever so close to staying in the division.

He has taken charge of 76 Luton Town games, 26 of which he has won, picking up 9 points, which is on average 1.28 per game, as per Transfermarkt.

But overall, Edwards has overseen 219 matches in his managerial career, 89 of which have ended in victories and 51 have ended in draws. That means he has collected 318 points, which averages 1.45 per match, as per Transfermarkt.

So, despite being in the managerial hotseat for not long, the 41-year-old has a decent record, and even though it was only the 2023/24 season that saw him manage in the Premier League, he got his Luton team playing some excellent football, as they didn’t fear anyone they faced.

Leicester need some of that as well, as they don’t want to come away from what earned them success in the Championship.

The Foxes need to go into the Premier League not fearing opposition and looking to play their own way, no matter the results they are getting.

Edwards has a very understanding approach; he likes his teams to play with the ball at their feet and not be afraid to pose questions to the opposition. He will have learned from his mistakes in the 2023/24 season, and he will be a better manager for it.

If Leicester are continuing in the route of appointing a young type manager, then Edwards definitely fits the bill, but he also comes with experience in the Premier League, which surely puts him ahead of other potential candidates.