Schira reported on Saturday that City have designated the 46-year-old Italian as Pep Guardiola's successor, with the decision now resting entirely with the current manager.
Guardiola, asked after the FA Cup final win over Chelsea whether this would be his last season, smiled and ended the interview without answering.
Maresca left Chelsea in January after less than 18 months in charge, during which he led the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish, the Conference League title and the FIFA Club World Cup. He has been out of work since and is free to sign for any club immediately.
The appointment carries significant internal logic. Maresca served as Guardiola's assistant coach during City's historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign before leaving to manage Leicester City, whom he guided to the Championship title. His intimate knowledge of City's playing philosophy, squad and training structures makes him the closest available approximation of continuity.
Guardiola is contracted until 2027 but mounting reports from multiple outlets suggest the general understanding within the club is that he will step down this summer. When pressed on his future in recent weeks, the Spaniard has repeatedly deflected, saying only that he has "one year left on the contract."
City won their second domestic trophy of the season on Saturday, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final through Antoine Semenyo's backheel finish. They remain two points behind Arsenal in the Premier League with two games to play, leaving a domestic treble still mathematically possible.