• Defender available on a free may be first signing in Maresca era
• Trevoh Chalobah understood to be Manchester United target

Chelsea are confident of beating Newcastle to the signing of the Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer.

Newcastle were leading the race for the former Manchester City defender and have been working on a deal for several weeks. But they have not been able to see off a late move from Chelsea, who are working to complete what would be the first signing of the Enzo Maresca era after offering Adarabioyo a bigger financial package than Eddie Howe’s team.

• Maresca set to join on five-year deal from Leicester
• Italian had secured promotion with Foxes in his first season

Chelsea have agreed terms on a five-year deal for Enzo Maresca to become their new head coach. The Italian is set to join from Leicester, whom he led to promotion to the Premier League as champions in April.

Maresca has had only that one full season in charge of a senior team but he has impressed the Chelsea hierarchy and takes over from Mauricio Pochettino, who left by mutual consent shortly after the club ended the season with five straight wins to finish sixth.

• Deal makes him one of England’s highest-paid managers
• Interest came from Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United

The Ipswich manager, Kieran ­McKenna, has signed a new contract, meaning he will lead the Premier League newcomers into next season despite interest from Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United.

McKenna rose to prominence as one of the hottest properties around after taking Ipswich to consecutive promotions, the second a dazzling ascent from the Championship that was confirmed this month. He becomes one of the highest-paid managers in England and will be backed significantly as Ipswich prepare for their first top-flight campaign since 2001-02.

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Football is a simple game – a truism that goes a long way to explaining why it has taken over the world, the only human creation to transcend every possible human difference. And because understanding its rhythms and tactics is so easily done, those who know nothing about it whatsoever can still master it almost immediately, processing its 150 or so years of history to deliver infallible analysis in a matter of minutes. Take Todd Boehly, for example. One might have thought someone with no footballing experience would require time to adjust to a new sport and culture; not so! Rather, Boehly’s floppy fringe and trove of blazers have sent him soaring like a Rüpell’s vulture learning to fly, surveying everything from above before swooping low to pull flesh off the bones of ground-bound inferiors.

• Chelsea have been granted permission to speak to Italian
• Leicester will want around £10m to release their manager

Chelsea are ready to give Enzo Maresca a five-year deal after being granted permission to speak to the Leicester manager. Maresca, who is expected to agree to take the job, has emerged as the favoured candidate to succeed Mauricio Pochettino after an intense weekend of talks.

Chelsea and Kieran McKenna, who is poised to snub Brighton and sign a new deal at Ipswich, cooled their interest in each other and the Stamford Bridge club have not moved forward with Brentford’s Thomas Frank. Senior figures have repeatedly played down suggestions of interest in Roberto De Zerbi and believe that Maresca’s heavy focus on possession will suit a squad full of technically gifted players.

• Leicester won Championship under the Italian
• Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna also of interest

Chelsea are set to ask Leicester for permission to speak to Enzo Maresca. The manager is competing with Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, who is also a target for Brighton and Manchester United, in the race to replace Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea are confident of making a swift appointment and McKenna, who inspired Ipswich’s astonishing promotion to the Premier League, has been viewed as the leading candidate. But the race remains open and there is support for Maresca, who led Leicester to the Championship title last season and is admired by the recruitment team at Stamford Bridge.

American billionaires and investment firms now control teams across Europe. Their stewardship varies wildly in quality

It might have taken the USA generations to take soccer seriously as a sport, but the country’s reach across the English and European game continues to grow, particularly when it comes to club ownership. Indeed, American entrepreneurs, moguls and general wealth-hoarders are now commonplace in boardrooms across world soccer.

No fewer than nine Premier League clubs are majority owned by Americans – and that’s without even mentioning clubs lower down the pyramid such as Birmingham City and Wrexham (although Canada could claim that one too). Across continental Europe, too, there is a current of American ownership gathering pace – Serie A has proved particularly attractive recently.

• Blues keen to make swift appointment after Pochettino exit
• Club check Leicester’s Enzo Maresca as alternative coach

Chelsea are confident of bringing their search for Mauricio Pochettino’s successor to a swift conclusion after notifying Ipswich of their interest in their favoured candidate, Kieran McKenna, and putting alternative plans in place by making checks on Leicester’s Enzo Maresca.

The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership are working quickly after parting company with Pochettino by mutual consent – a development that has caused shock within the dressing room – and they are optimistic that the process will not take long.

• Jackson, Palmer and Caicedo among those to speak out
• John Terry calls for no transfers until replacement is found

Chelsea’s players have been left shocked by Mauricio Pochettino leaving his post as head coach by mutual consent after less than a year in the job.

Pochettino had strong support from his players after a positive end to his first season in charge and news of his departure has not gone down well in the dressing room. The mood was summed up by a senior player expressing concern at the constant upheaval at Chelsea, who have already been through five managers since being purchased by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital two years ago. A source close to another player said his client could not believe the news.

The Argentinian’s great mistake was failing to realise that this is not a club conditioned to serve a manager

It would have been different if Mauricio Pochettino had been willing to trust Chelsea’s great restructuring is going to work. In the end, the problem for the Argentinian was that he joined a club who do not want a manager who has all the power. It is clear by now that anyone who hopes to last under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital has to collaborate with the board on everything, be open-minded about constructive criticism and remember not to rock the boat too much when it comes to recruitment.

Unfortunately that was never going to be Pochettino – just as it was never going to be Thomas Tuchel, who lasted seven games before being fired. Pochettino is 52. He is a big, magnetic character and an experienced coach who believes his way is best. He was never going to listen to suggestions that he could ease Chelsea’s injury problems by reviewing and altering his training methods.

• ‘It was a hard and painful decision, but I think it is right’
• The 72-year-old has kept Cagliari in Serie A this season

Claudio Ranieri will leave his job as the Cagliari coach by mutual agreement, the Serie A club said on Tuesday, as local media reported that the 72-year-old was set to retire from football. The announcement came after Cagliari guaranteed themselves another season in the Italian top flight with a win at Sassuolo on Sunday.

Sky Sports Italia reported that Cagliari will be Ranieri’s final team, as he has decided to retire from football. The Italian coach, who had previously managed Cagliari from 1988-91, had one year remaining on his contract after joining the club last season and leading them to promotion from Serie B.

• Blues prepared to fight Brighton for Tractor Boys manager
• Argentinian departs after talks with club over two days

Chelsea are prepared to rival Brighton for the appointment of Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna after ­reaching an agreement to part company with Mauricio Pochettino by mutual consent on Tuesday.

Pochettino, who led the club to sixth after a strong end to his only season in charge, has left after ­holding talks with the co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul ­Winstanley, and the co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali over the course of two days.

Our photo editor Jonny Weeks trawled through more than 100,000 pictures to select his favourite images and the most unforgettable moments

The Premier League season started ominously as Erling Haaland took just four minutes to get his goalscoring campaign under way when Manchester City beat Burnley in the opening match. Elsewhere, Luton’s first top-flight game for 31 years ended in defeat at Brighton and Ange Postecoglou claimed manager of the month (as he would do again in September and October) as Tottenham made a fast start to the season.

Readers respond to Jason Stockwood’s article about football’s evolution and the unforgettable 1970 FA Cup final between Leeds and Chelsea

Jason Stockwood is right that the 1970 FA Cup final replay between Leeds and Chelsea was a brutal game – one among many during that period (Fluid poetry has beaten brutality in the battle for football’s evolution, 14 May). Chelsea had Ron “Chopper” Harris while Leeds had Norman “bite your legs” Hunter. “Never mind the ball, let’s get on with the game” was a fitting analysis of many games.

However, Leeds had many players who would grace the Premier League today. Paul Madeley was a stylish centre back who could move effortlessly into midfield, and Terry Cooper a fast and skilful overlapping full back, dangerous in attack and effective in defence. Billy Bremner and John Giles were midfield players who produced penetrating passes that would confuse any modern defence.

Fans review the season with one game to play: the stars, the flops and the moments that made them smile

• Part two: Liverpool to Wolves

It’s been a privilege. Yes, it looks destined to end in glorious failure, but we’ll keep faith until the fat lady sings. No matter the outcome, there’s so much pride in the unity of spirit that has sustained our campaign to the final day and given us the sort of exhilarating entertainment we last witnessed a couple of decades back. Some might not agree with all of Mikel’s decisions along the way, but there’s certainly no disputing his achievements. 9.5/10.

• Owners undecided on whether to keep Pochettino
• Brighton want McKenna as replacement for De Zerbi

Chelsea have identified Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna as one of the leading  candidates to take over from Mauricio Pochettino, whose future is up in the air before his end-of-season review with the club’s hierarchy.

While some key figures at Stamford Bridge are in favour of Pochettino staying, the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership is yet to reach a consensus on whether a change is required.

• Teenage winger considered one of the top talents in Brazil
• Transfer fee will be broken up into initial €34m plus add-ons

Chelsea are set to complete the signing of the Palmeiras prodigy Estêvão Willian for a fee in the region of €60m (£51.4m).

The 17-year-old winger is regarded as one of the best talents in Brazil and Chelsea were determined not to miss out on him.