Leicester City’s ‘number one transfer target’ Enzo Maresca could be poached by Chelsea

From Leicester City to Chelsea is a well-trodden path. Before Enzo Maresca, there were Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante, all in the last eight years.

And there could be more to come, not least the team behind Maresca, many of whom worked alongside him at Parma or with Manchester City’s Under-21s. He is expected to join him at Stamford Bridge.

But a question often asked when a manager moves from one club to another is which players he might poach and take along for the ride. Looking at the Chelsea and City squads, there is one outstanding answer: Mads Hermansen.

READ MORE: Leicester City manager Q+A live on Maresca at Chelsea, Corberan interest, transfer plans

READ MORE: Leicester City midfielder bids farewell to new chance under possible new manager

A good goalkeeper is an integral part of any successful team, but such a statement is especially true for a great team. When the goal is to dominate the ball and control space, having a goalkeeper who can essentially function as an outfield player can create overloads and benefit attacks enormously.

Maresca outlined his stance on goalkeepers at the start of his City tenure, saying: “When we go back and play the goalkeeper it’s because the intention is to attack better. We try to play with the goalkeeper to get the opponent in sight and to have more space at the back. If the opponent is standing there, it is difficult to find space. But the reason we often play with the goalkeeper is because we want to have more space up front.”

In Hermansen, City have found a goalkeeper who is tremendously impressive with the ball at his feet. While his campaign has not been without its faults, his composure under pressure has been exceptional and his footwork has routinely started moves that have ended up with the ball in the opposition net.

But he’s not a one-trick pony. He also makes saves. He is agile on the goal line, spreads well and has excellent reactions. By expected goals measure, no goalkeeper has prevented more in the Championship than Hermansen this season. He is an excellent goalkeeper and, at 23 years old, will only get better.

After signing the Dane, Maresca said: “Mads is the goalkeeper I wanted. He’s the goalkeeper I’ve wanted since day one. I don’t see any risk, I just see an opportunity to play with the goalkeeper.

“He is a goalkeeper, he has to save. He was probably our number one target because we knew he could give us both in training, but also because he’s a good goalkeeper and makes saves.”

Chelsea have used both Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic between the sticks this season, and while the latter has impressed with his stopping power, neither looks good enough with the ball at his feet to please Maresca.

At Chelsea, Maresca will not deal with the transfer policy. But if he is allowed to have his say, he may have the same ‘number one target’ he had last summer and leave City in search of a new goalkeeper as well as a new boss.

How would you feel if Maresca replaced Hermansen? Let us know in the comments section below.