The new Premier League campaign looms and the transfer frenzy is already in full swing as Manchester City aim to assemble a squad capable of competing across every competition.
City have waved farewell to Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders in recent days, with Savinho set to depart and Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Rico Lewis potentially following. The club are monitoring 22-year-old Palmeiras winger Allan while positioning Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez as primary midfield targets, though the clock is ticking as they seek to finalise their recruitment.
With numerous queries to address, we are running a weekly question-and-answer session with our senior City correspondent Simon Bajkowski. This is your opportunity to have any of your questions answered – simply submit your question here and Simon will gather them all and compile responses in one article.
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Here are the responses to some of this week’s submitted questions:
Will City pursue another striker if Marmoush leaves or simply rely on existing squad options? James
Hi James, let’s begin with what appears to be the next departure. Savinho is moving to Spurs for a club-record fee and there is optimism from Spurs that they can also secure Marmoush. Enzo Maresca has not been particularly hopeful about retaining Marmoush for some time now, so it seems likely to happen.
This brings us to what every City supporter is currently discussing: selling players is one thing but who is arriving to fill their shoes? City have stated this summer, as we have reported, that they intend to sign one replacement for every departure and Maresca also wants this. The club want to support their new manager and reducing the squad below its size under Guardiola would not achieve that – but time is rapidly running out.
What is the current status on Bouaddi’s transfer? When will he arrive? Jade
Why is the Bouaddi deal taking so long? It has been ages and the agreement still isn’t complete. YP
Will City sign Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window closes? Simons
Is there any possibility City could pursue Adam Wharton instead of Enzo Fernandez? Ryan
This leads us nicely to incoming players – and while I have selected a few questions, I received dozens more on the same topic. Ayyoub Bouaddi has been a deal that City have taken a relaxed approach to for most of the summer, yet they still have not got the move completed.
It is difficult to pinpoint why; clearly they have not reached a full agreement with Lille but the obvious next question is why they have not done so and that is harder to explain. City believe there is no time pressure since they are the only club in talks, but supporters are understandably frustrated.
Bouaddi’s transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days and the next most probable signing after that is Enzo Fernandez. City publicly distanced themselves from pursuing him this summer, Chelsea set a deadline that was not met, but the impression remains that City want the player, he wants the move, and Chelsea are willing to sell at the right price. The figure of £120m exceeds what City want to spend but as the window progresses, Chelsea’s negotiating position strengthens.
There is interest in Adam Wharton but as far as I am aware, City had not been considering him as an option for this summer specifically because Palace were firm about not selling him. That could shift in the final days of the window, but still appears less likely than a move for Fernandez.
I wanted to ask Simon, following on from the documentary – it revealed how close Khaldoon and Pep were and how that bond developed over the years. Where do things stand with Enzo right now? How long will they give him if he fails in the first six months? Will they support him no matter what, or is there a deadline in mind? And is the young squad narrative already being used as a justification for Enzo? Ariz
Hi Ariz, all questions are welcome but particularly ones that do not involve discussing the transfer situation! I thought the most revealing part of the documentary regarding Guardiola’s relationship with the chairman was his frustration after the Leverkusen defeat; we know they shared a very strong bond, so it was noteworthy that it was not without tension.
Maresca has the support of essentially every senior figure at City. He was approached by Txiki Begiristain years ago, rapidly earned the respect and admiration of Al Mubarak, and spent time before officially starting at the Etihad in Barcelona meeting with Guardiola.
City take considerable pride in having appointed only two managers in the past 13 years and are not known for dismissing coaches, so they will give Maresca time. This also reflects that recruitment will significantly impact the season and that does not fall under the coach’s remit. This is only my personal view but I would be surprised if Maresca were not given at least two years to prove himself and see through the squad overhaul.
I have not heard much discussion about the young squad argument. What I would say is City need to sign experienced players to compensate for the leadership and authority lost this summer. Maresca was pleading for senior players at Chelsea and must have expected to be acquiring some established talent when he took the City job.
Where does Grealish’s mind stand – and at this stage is he likely to remain? Harley
Grealish is in a positive frame of mind, having finally recovered from the injury that curtailed his loan spell at Everton last term. Everton’s CEO Angus Kinnear informed the BBC this week that they continue to monitor his situation and they and other parties would have appreciated seeing his display in the Community Shield.
At this stage, Grealish remains likely to leave but that hinges on whether City attract an interested buyer. Any party looking to sign him either permanently or – more probably – on loan may leave it until the window’s closing days to secure the best financial terms; if no deal can be struck, he will stay but that has not been the plan throughout the summer.
Is there a strategy behind this summer’s squad rebuild? Is the aim to reduce the overall wage bill and bring in younger players like this Palmeiras winger to align more with SCR regulations? I am just trying to understand that move as it does not seem the standard for City. It feels like the first summer window where there is a genuine loss of identity regarding what made this club so dominant in future planning. Help me make sense of it please. Kirby
Hi Kirby, thank you for your message and I think many supporters share at least some of your confusion about City’s approach this window. The same goes for journalists! I have been fairly critical of where City find themselves this summer so I hope you will not view this as defending them, but we enter the window’s final week with essentially every major club still requiring significant business.
City need to do more than most, but they have been determined to replace any departures and the sales relate less to SCR regulations and more to providing Maresca with the players he wants. Beyond the rebuild that has been apparent since January 2025, with so many dissatisfied signings from the past two years, decisions have been made to move them on as well.
This means more work than City anticipated or wanted, but they have clearly concluded that the best approach is to take decisive action rather than persisting with numerous players who were not entirely comfortable at City because they were not convinced City were happy to have them.