It has been a week since Enzo Maresca departed Leicester City to take over the vacant managerial position at Chelsea. Enzo Maresca, who led Leicester City to the Championship title last season, was expected to turn down Chelsea’s offer to stay at the King Power. However, this was not the case, and Leicester must now choose a new manager in preparation for a season in which Premier League survival is the ultimate goal. Several names have been linked to the role, including Steve Cooper, Carlos Corberan, Graham Potter, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
There is one out-of-work manager who has not been mentioned in discussions about the Leicester position, but he would almost certainly keep the club in the top tier. Leicester City should recruit David Moyes as Enzo Maresca’s replacement. That manager is David Moyes. The Scottish manager recently left West Ham United, where he led the club to three successive European seasons, including the Europa Conference League title in 2023.
Moyes has extensive experience as a manager, having served for 26 years, and has a reputation for team building. Despite guiding West Ham from relegation fodder to European regulars, he is an extraordinarily safe pair of hands. Moyes’ reputation suffered as a result of his brief tenure at Manchester United and relegation to Sunderland, but he has worked hard to demonstrate his abilities since then.
It should not be forgotten that he achieved success at Everton for 11 years, consistently challenging the traditional top four on a low budget. While the 61-year-old may not be the most glamorous hire, he has a track record of developing teams and, eventually, delivering outcomes. With Leicester expecting to have limited cash to spend this summer, Moyes’ experience getting the most out of the resources at his disposal should make him an appealing alternative for the Leicester leadership. Mikel Arteta is a tremendous admirer of Moyes.
Only Moyes knows if he will immediately return to managing after leaving West Ham United. However, the former Real Sociedad manager has never been out of the game for long, and the opportunity to lead a club where he can use his abilities may attract the Scot. It would be a significant departure from Maresca’s philosophy, which is quite similar to that of Pep Guardiola, but Moyes might instill the resilience required to grind out results in the top flight. Moyes brought Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to England during his tenure at Everton, and the Gunners’ boss could not speak highly enough of Moyes’ effect on him.
In 2023, Arteta stated of Moyes: “It’s more than respect, it’s admiration, I loved playing for him,” “When he was my manager, I would go to any length to help him. I believe everyone would join that squad. “[He is] exceptional at managing the group and dealing with individuals, and a very special person, a really special human being.” Going from a large fish in a relatively small pond in the Championship to the Premier League, where the bulk of teams will have superior players, Leicester will require a manager who is ‘excellent at managing the squad’. If Leicester are not considering Moyes as Maresca’s replacement, they should be.
