Leicester City may have to brace themselves for the possibility of losing another key player to their former manager this summer.
Leicester City fans may well be sick of the sight of Enzo Maresca.
Having guided the Foxes to the Championship title at the first time of asking last season, Maresca left Leicester weeks after promotion to take the manager job at Chelsea.
He then capitalised on Leicester’s financial worries to secure a £30 million deal for their best player in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, leaving new manager Steve Cooper the unenviable task of picking up the pieces.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Maresca could now eye up a move for another Leicester player he is a ‘big admirer’ of.
Enzo Maresca could make interest in Mads Hermansen ‘solid’
Dewsbury-Hall was Leicester’s standout performer last season as he registered 26 goal contributions en route to the Championship title.
However, he was not alone in his impressive displays, with goalkeeper Mads Hermansen flourishing under Maresca given his ability with the ball at his feet and proactive approach.
Hermansen will be key to Cooper’s chances of keeping Leicester in the Premier League in the upcoming season, but they may have to reject any potential advances from Maresca if they are to keep him at the King Power.
That is because Maresca is a keen admirer of Hermansen and could consider trying to take him to Stamford Bridge.
That is according to Mail Sport journalist Tom Collomosse, who posted on ‘X’: ‘Along with Dewsbury-Hall, Enzo Maresca also a big admirer of Hermansen, as fans know well.
Unclear whether admiration will develop into anything more solid but Danish goalkeeper is valued at about £45 million’.
Speaking on Hermansen after he recovered from a mistake against Birmingham City in April to continue to take risks with the ball, Maresca showed his appreciation for the ‘keeper as he said: “We won many games this year because of Mads.
“It can happen. What cannot happen is that he starts to play long balls. Otherwise we are going to play the second keeper.
“For me Mads was fantastic in the second half. He was not nervous but the people in the stadium were more nervous than him, for sure. But what I said to him: ‘Second half, when we play with you, if you play long, you go out. Continue in the same way.’ He showed personality. He continued to play short.”
Do Leicester need the money more than they need Hermansen?
Hermansen’s importance should not be overlooked, but there could be a case to be made that £45 million to reinvest in the squad could be more beneficial than keeping the goalkeeper.
The Dane only arrived last summer from Brondby and was a revelation in his first campaign in England, but £45 million would represent a significant profit on the £6 million Maresca paid for him last summer.
With a number of areas of the squad requiring improvement, the money Hermansen would command could go a very long way to resolving those issues.
When you consider Cooper places less emphasis on the ball-playing ability of his goalkeepers than Maresca, the new boss may be minded to sanction the sale of the 24-year-old if a suitable offer comes in.