Man City gets ready to sign three players from the same club just hours after Arsenal’s tough loss
Manchester City are gearing up to bounce back after their tough loss in the Community Shield, and they’re aiming to sign three big players from a fellow Premier League team.
Enzo Maresca’s first competitive game as Manchester City’s manager didn’t go as planned. They were beaten 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield. Arsenal took the lead within just one minute thanks to Ricardo Calafiori, and then Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard added two more goals to seal the win.
City fans are understandably worried ahead of their Premier League season opener against Bournemouth this Sunday. Many believe this loss shows that the club still needs to make some signings before the transfer window closes on September 1, which is less than two weeks away.
It seems the club agrees. Reports say Manchester City have reached out to Chelsea about signing Malo Gusto this summer. City first showed interest in Gusto earlier this summer, as Maresca wants to bring in the defender he coached last season at Chelsea. But Chelsea wanted over £70 million for Gusto, which City thought was too expensive, so they pulled back.
However, City looks ready to try again, hoping they can strike a deal before the transfer window shuts. While chasing Gusto, City is also working on signing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea gave a deadline of 5pm last Friday for offers on Fernandez, but City didn’t submit one then. With Rodri likely moving to Barcelona soon, City is expected to push harder to sign Fernandez and submit a formal offer before the window closes.
Fernandez won’t come cheap—Chelsea reportedly wants around £120 million, which would break City’s transfer record for the second time this summer after signing Elliot Anderson for £116 million from Nottingham Forest. Chelsea’s coach Xabi Alonso has said he wants Fernandez to stay, and his contract runs until 2032.
Besides Rodri’s possible move to Barcelona, City is also thinking about selling Savinho, who is one of Tottenham Hotspur’s main targets. If Savinho leaves, City could try to bring in another Chelsea player, Pedro Neto, as his replacement. But if City wants Neto, they’ll need to act fast because Al Hilal is also moving quickly to sign him, and he’s valued at about £100 million.