Sunderland have spoken to Enzo Maresca as they seek a new manager with Roy Keane seemingly out of the race for the job.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim that Keane has decided to reject the chance to become Sunderland manager after holding talks.
An emotional return for Keane is now off the table, and Sunderland will press ahead with moves for the likes of Alex Neil and Grant McCann.
There are other contenders in the mix though, and the report claims that Sunderland have made contact with Maresca about a shock move.
Maresca may be a familiar name to some from his playing days having started his professional career with West Bromwich Albion.
The Italian ended up playing for the likes of Juventus and Sevilla before turning to coaching, working under Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham United.
Maresca moved on to Manchester City in 2020, becoming the manager of their Elite Development Squad.
With a Premier League 2 title win in his first season, Maresca attracted major interest and decided to leave City last summer.
Maresca returned to Italy with Parma, but was sacked in November after just four wins in 14 games there.
Now a free agent, Sunderland are looking towards Maresca as a possible replacement for Johnson in what could be an exciting move.
Pep Guardiola worked closely with Maresca at City and suggested that he has everything to become an ‘extraordinary’ manager.
That didn’t quite happen at Parma, but Sunderland may now see Maresca as a smart if slightly left-field option to move the club forward.
Neil and McCann still seem to be the favourites, but don’t be surprised if Maresca now becomes a fancied candidate with Keane out of the running.
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