Leicester City ‘talking to Carlos Corberan’ as manager hunt intensifies, Enzo Maresca drops hint

Leicester City are said to have spoken to West Brom’s Carlos Corberan as their search for a new manager intensifies.

City’s search for Enzo Maresca’s successor was expected to intensify once his exit was sealed, with the Italian announced as Chelsea’s new man on Monday. Just 24 hours later, reports suggest City have spoken to Corberan as they look to fill his now vacant spot.

The Spaniard, who led the Baggies to the play-offs this season, is understood to be under consideration at the King Power Stadium. And Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri now reports that discussions have taken place.

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The interest in Corberan indicates that the club are willing to pay a compensation fee to get the man they want, even amid their concerns about profit and sustainability rules. Suggestions that it would cost around £4m to pry Corberan away from the Hawthorns are thought to be close to accurate.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is the bookies’ favorite as things stand, although he may be reluctant to accept the job given his links to the City Ground. There is long-standing interest in Graham Potter, who remains short-listed, alongside the likes of OH Leuven’s Oscar Garcia and former PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.

City said in their statement about Maresca that they were looking for a manager to “lead our return to the Premier League and continue to implement our long-term vision”. This probably suggests that the club are not looking for a survival specialist to try and steer the club away from relegation in what is expected to be a difficult season.

When Maresca was first appointed, he said chairman Aiyawatt “Top” Srivaddhanaprabha and director of football Jon Rudkin did not discuss an immediate return to the Premier League, focusing only on changing the style of play. It also suggests that any new appointment will align with Maresca’s values.

Recounting the interview with City, the Italian said earlier this season: “No one mentioned promotion, I swear. When I first met the president and Jon Rudkin, they never told me we had to be promoted. The only thing they said is that we want to change our style. We want to build something new.”

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