The Citizens are on the verge of losing another key midfielder with the Spain international poised to complete his switch to the Catalan club after City accepted their offer. The 28-year-old was seen at Barcelona airport preparing for his medical.
Two other senior players have already departed the Etihad this week. Reijnders has finalised his £52m move to the Saudi Arabian side while Akanji’s previous loan arrangement with Inter Milan has been converted into a permanent transfer.
City remain in discussions with Lille over acquiring Bouaddi, the teenage Morocco international who impressed at last summer’s World Cup. The 18-year-old made nearly 100 senior appearances for the French club and featured in the Champions League. Sources indicate City are increasingly confident of concluding a deal for the midfielder soon.
Meanwhile, Fernandez continues to be monitored by City despite Chelsea missing their self-imposed Friday deadline to make an approach. The Argentine came on as a substitute in Chelsea’s weekend pre-season victory over Real Sociedad and was met with jeers from sections of the home support. Reports suggest Chelsea have engaged super agent Mendes to help facilitate a potential switch to City, with the Blues valuing the player at around £120m. City are claimed to be willing to meet that valuation to satisfy manager Maresca, who previously worked with Fernandez during his time as Leicester boss.
Tottenham are in negotiations with City over signing both Savinho and Marmoush. Savinho sat out City’s recent fixture with Arsenal due to illness while Marmoush has also attracted interest from Newcastle. The Egypt international arrived at the Etihad eighteen months ago for £59m and faces an uncertain future with the transfer window shutting on September 1.
On the outgoing front, City youngster Gray is set to join Wigan Athletic on a temporary basis. The 20-year-old, who made his first-team debut last December in the League Cup against Brentford, has been watching Wigan’s matches and was absent from City’s under-21 squad for their midweek fixture.
Elsewhere, Grealish remains at the club despite ongoing speculation about his future. The England international featured in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and was subsequently spotted at Wrexham’s Championship opener against Wigan.
The Gunners secured a 3-0 victory in that fixture, exposing vulnerabilities in City’s lineup. Only Anderson, City’s sole summer signing at £116m, has genuinely strengthened the first team, and he featured in Cardiff having trained with the squad for just a couple of days.
Maresca acknowledged the need for reinforcements before the new Premier League season begins in a week. He explained that new arrivals would help the squad understand their preferred style of play more quickly. The Italian stated that the club’s requirements were clear regardless of Sunday’s outcome and that transfer activity would continue before the deadline.
With Bernardo Silva having already departed for Real Madrid and John Stones moving to Inter Milan, City face a significant midfield overhaul. Having lost their World Cup-winning midfielder and with another key player departing, at least two new central midfielders appear necessary.
Maresca was named as City’s latest manager following Guardiola’s departure. The former Catalan boss has taken a break from football after a decade at the Etihad. In an upcoming Amazon Prime documentary, Guardiola suggested a return to management would be challenging. He explained that he currently lacks clarity about his future plans but expressed doubt about an imminent comeback.
Guardiola rejected advances from the Italy national team this summer. Several prominent players have left City recently, with Nathan Ake completing a move to Fenerbahce and James Trafford joining Leeds United.
Ake played the full ninety minutes in Fenerbahce’s unexpected 2-1 defeat to Gençlerbirliği in their season opener, with the Turkish league commencing a week before major European competitions.
City enter the new season as second favourites in the betting for the Premier League title, priced at 7/2 to triumph, with Arsenal viewed as the frontrunners. They are also given odds of 5/4 to finish in the top two and 1/4 to secure European qualification. Haaland remains the favourite at 1/8 to finish as City’s leading scorer.
Following substantial changes at board level and in the dugout, the club aims to reclaim their position at English football’s summit under new leadership.
The captaincy question remains unresolved, with Dias wearing the armband for the Community Shield clash. When questioned about the decision, Maresca indicated the full captain would be appointed once the transfer window concludes. He noted that while Dias and Haaland were present, Rodri was unavailable due to recovery, and the matter would be addressed post-window.
Maresca has been transparent about the club’s transfer strategy throughout pre-season, confirming discussions were ongoing with representatives and that activity would occur before the deadline.
Anderson’s arrival has provided a boost to a midfield set to miss Silva for the first time in nine years. However, with Rodri departing and Bouaddi potentially joining, predicting City’s initial competitive lineup under the new manager remains challenging.
The coming fortnight promises to be hectic, with several players potentially departing and arrivals needed to address the midfield situation.