Enzo Maresca clearly stated Man City's transfer ambitions after recruiting Elliot Anderson for 116 million pounds


Enzo Maresca gave his first assessment of the Manchester City squad after being appointed coach with a three-year contract. Maresca was confirmed as City manager on a contract until 2029 after a lengthy period of compensation negotiations with Chelsea, and made his first visit to the club's training facility to begin familiarizing himself with the team he will work with during the 2026-27 season at the Etihad Stadium. The 46-year-old new manager takes over a squad that has undergone significant changes since Pep Guardiola left, with the summer transfer window having seen the arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and other additions also being negotiated as Hugo Viana continues to shape the squad to Maresca's demands. Speaking via Manchester City's official channels, Maresca offered a cautious but encouraging review of the squad he has taken on, projecting gentle confidence but also admitting that the rebuilding process is still ongoing. "The squad is young but very good," Maresca said. "I think we have the right combination of young players and experienced players, which helps the young players develop and improve a lot. The squad is already very good, for sure. We need to do some work, but we are working with Hugo and will see what happens." The reference to Viana by first name suggests the close working relationship between manager and director of football that City have tried to build as a foundation for their post-Guardiola structure, with the two understood to have agreed on the necessary additions before the season resumes. The phrase "we need to do some work" is understated, but takes on real meaning in the context of a transfer window in which City are said to be targeting at most five new recruits in various positions before the window closes – including a second central midfielder, a full-back, an attacker and a goalkeeper alongside the arrival of Anderson. Maresca's emphasis on the balance between youth and experience speaks to a broader philosophy that has shaped his coaching career to date, and his comfort with the age of City's current squad suggests he views the youth of this group as an asset to be developed rather than a weakness to be managed. Whether City's "to-do" can be completed quickly enough for Maresca to have a stable squad before competitive football returns remains the central question of the summer at the Etihad Stadium - but the new manager's comments show he is a man who knows exactly what he wants and is confident that Viana will help him get it.