Enzo Maresca Prepares for Transfer Window Challenges
Enzo Maresca is braced for a frantic finish to the transfer window – but Manchester City will not be dancing to Chelsea’s tune over Enzo Fernández.
Chelsea set a 5pm Friday deadline for clubs to meet their £120m valuation of the Argentina midfielder. City, interested and well aware of his qualities from Maresca’s time at Stamford Bridge, will not be meeting it.
Trophy on the line, squad in flux
Maresca steps into the spotlight on Sunday, leading City in a major match for the first time in the Community Shield against Arsenal in Cardiff. The Italian, though, is still some way from knowing exactly what his squad will look like when the real business of the season starts.
City are close to signing 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, a move in line with the club’s long-term planning. But the bigger-name deals – the ones that shape dressing rooms and starting XIs – remain up in the air.
“Not today to be honest, I don’t think we’re going to do something today,” Maresca said when asked about incoming business on Friday. “For sure there are things we need to do, how many I don’t know, can be one can be two depends also if players want to leave so we can see.
“It’s 48 hours for the final, my first final in this club, I would like to win my first trophy, so my focus isn’t on players that can leave or players that can arrive, my focus is on the game.”
The message is clear: the market can wait. Arsenal cannot.
Rodri in demand, Barcelona circling
Behind the scenes, though, the noise is impossible to ignore. City have already rejected two bids from Barcelona for Rodri, and a third offer is expected.
The midfielder, who has just one year left on his contract, returned to the training ground on Friday after his post-World Cup break. His future hangs over City’s plans, but Maresca refused to be drawn into any public tug-of-war.
“The transfer window is open, we can buy players, we can sell players, anything can happen,” he said. “I just saw Rodri now in the building, I gave him a big hug, he looks good, so we’ll see what happens.”
City’s stance so far has been firm. Barcelona are pushing. The clock is ticking.
Reijnders heads for Saudi, others in the shop window
One departure is much closer. Tijjani Reijnders is set to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah after the clubs agreed a £51m fee. The Dutchman only arrived last summer from Milan but wants more regular football than he has found in Manchester.
“They all work every day, they all do sessions every day and at the end of the week they all want to play a game,” Maresca said. “When they don’t play, they struggle to understand or they struggle to see the reason why and I can understand that after one season some of them would like to play a little bit more. It’s a normal situation.”
It is a blunt truth of life at City: competition is brutal, and talented players move on.
James Trafford has already left for Leeds. Omar Marmoush, Rico Lewis and Savinho – on the fringes during Pep Guardiola’s final season – could follow him out of the door if the right offers arrive.
So Maresca walks into his first final with a squad in motion, a midfield under siege from Barcelona, a £120m target he will not chase on Chelsea’s terms, and a dressing room full of players wondering where they will be in a month’s time.
The silverware on Sunday is the first marker. The real shape of his City, though, will be defined by what happens before this window slams shut.
