West Brom at risk of Leicester City swoop as Enzo Maresca to Chelsea talk intensifies | OneFootball

Leicester City could reportedly turn their attentions to West Brom's Carlos Corberan should Enzo Maresca leave the Foxes amid intensifying links to Chelsea.

The managerial merry-go-round is well underway after the conclusion of the 2023/24 season - minus this Sunday's Championship play-off final and Saturday's FA Cup final - and those at the top table of English football are impacting things down the pyramid.

Chelsea are one of the elite clubs on the lookout for a new manager, with Mauricio Pochettino leaving the club this week. Maresca, who has just led Leicester to a 97-point haul in the Championship and the second-tier title, is one name under consideration for the Stamford Bridge job.

The Daily Mail are subsequently reporting that, if Maresca leaves Leicester, the Foxes could turn their attention to West Brom's Corberan, who is impressing at the Hawthorns and led the Baggies to a fifth-placed finish in 2023/24.

Corberan linked with Leicester job

There are many moving parts here, but reports are indicating that, if Chelsea make a move on Maresca, it could turn Leicester to Corberan, who is a rookie when it comes to managing in the Premier League.

The Daily Mail report that "Corberan is among the coaches Leicester would consider" to replace Maresca in the event of him leaving Leicester, citing his excellent work in the Championship with Huddersfield Town and West Brom, who he has led to top-six finishes on a limited budget compared to their rivals.

However, it's also worth noting the number of managers that Chelsea are considering to replace Pochettino.

Kieran McKenna, who led Ipswich to second in the Championship behind Leicester, and Brentford's Thomas Frank, are said to be in the frame, according to the Mail. Ruben Amorim is also of interest, albeit with a hefty release clause.

One key line in this report states"Maresca has a strong chance of replacing Pochettino ahead of next season".

Corberan's impressive Championship record

Corberan, 41, has been building his reputation in English football across the last four seasons. The former Valencia B goalkeeper earned himself a strong standing at Leeds United under the coaching umbrella of Marcelo Bielsa, before moving to Huddersfield Town ahead of the 2020/21 season.

With Huddersfield, Corberan guided the Terriers to safety during a testing first year, before delivering an impressive top-six finish in 2021/22 - Huddersfield were controversially beaten by Nottingham Forest at Wembley in the play-off final, having got the better of Luton Town across two legs in the semi-finals.

His time at Huddersfield would end after that, and he struggled with Olympiacos, before returning to the EFL with West Brom in October 2022.

Corberan dragged West Brom away from the relegation zone after a poor start to the season, and they ended 2022/23 sitting ninth, just three points shy of the play-offs.

In 2023/24, Corberan went one better and led the Baggies into the top-six, with West Brom finishing fifth on 75 points. They were beaten by Southampton in the play-off semi-finals last week, losing 3-1 on aggregate.

Those impressive feats at the Hawthorns have come against a difficult financial backdrop, with West Brom leaning heavily on loan signings and free agents in the transfer window. However, the club are now on an upward trajectory following Shilen Patel's takeover.

Corberan a Premier League coach in waiting

Corberan hasn't managed to get Huddersfield or West Brom over the line in the play-offs, but he has a fantastic reputation in the Championship, and he's often been in-charge of the underdog at that level.

He's tactically very, very good and has shown that in both jobs. Whilst the Spaniard's style has adapted, and he's become more defensive following a tough first year at Huddersfield, it all points to how he could deal with the demands the Premier League puts on you.

In the top-flight, you have to be solid, first and foremost, and we've seen that Corberan is more than capable of setting up a side in different systems depending on the opposition, retaining those core values above anything else. Only Leicester and Leeds conceded fewer goals than West Brom (47) in the Championship's regular season.

For Leicester, they won't want to lose Maresca. This season has been impressive and, despite a late wobble, the Foxes have been almost perfect. The former Man City coach's style might have frustrated a few, but results have been there and there's no denying him moving onto Chelsea will be a blow at a time when the club need some stability against a difficult backdrop when it comes to their finances.

However, if they are led to Corberan eventually, they will be picking up a coach that can work in difficult circumstances and, importantly, deliver results. Whilst his style isn't completely aligned with Maresca's, he's got a great tactical approach that could well suit a side trying to establish themselves back in the Premier League. As replacements go, he's not a bad option at all despite no English top-flight experience to date.