EXCL: Chelsea 'very serious' about Benjamin Sesko, Kerkez under consideration, Summerville, Olise, Jorgensen updates, Inside Enzo Maresca appointment, and more...

The Inside Chelsea column with Ben Jacobs!

Enzo Maresca is the new Chelsea head coach joining on a five-year deal with a club option of an extra 12 months. The Monday announcement may have already happened by the time you read this.

Chelsea always intended to offer a longer contract to Maresca compared to the two-year one they gave to Mauricio Pochettino. As a result, the head coach and project are now more aligned, although Maresca will still be expected to qualify for the Champions League next season. There is always pressure at Chelsea regardless of contract length.

Maresca arrives with six of his Leicester backroom staff, including his assistant and former Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Danny Walker, Michele De Bernardin, Marcos Alvarez, Javier Molina Caballero and Roberto Vitiello will also make the move.

Maresca was the unanimous choice in a process led by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. He has been hired because he fits the bill as a young, dynamic and possession-focused coach with experience in English football. And the fact Maresca is a Pep Guardiola disciple is an added bonus. Apparently, some Chelsea fans have already nicknamed him 'Diet Pep!'.

Maresca isn't simply a Pep clone, though. He is from the Johan Cruyff school of thought. And the big thing Chelsea players will learn quickly is that they have to work even harder off the ball. Maresca, like Cruyff, points out individual players are only on the ball for up to three minutes per game, so it's what you do for the other 87 minutes.

And Maresca is all about pressing space rather than players and this gave his Leicester side a lot of structure and balance. Get used to a lot of the ball, and a limited amount of counter-attacks (tried or 'conceded').

Maresca's 4-3-3 (or 3-2-5 when attacking) will be an interesting tactical shift from Pochettino's 4-2-3-1. Reece James is going to become an inverted full-back in likelihood. Chelsea's number eights are going to be encouraged to attack. And Maresca generally prefers wingers to wide forwards. 

It's kind of hard to put Chelsea's squad neatly into a 4-3-3 and accommodate Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher (if he stays), Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku all in their best positions if played together.