Enzo Maresca is ready to snatch a player from Chelsea while at Man City, as talks are ongoing about a transfer target they really want.
Enzo Maresca is ready to make his first big signing for Manchester City by bringing in a player from his old club Chelsea. He’s expected to take over from Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium soon.
Maresca, who used to be Guardiola’s assistant, is likely to step into the manager’s role after Guardiola decided to end his successful 10-year run at City. The Italian coach has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in January, and reports say he’s already agreed to return to City—this time as the head coach.
Although nothing is official yet, The Athletic says Maresca has already been part of talks about City’s transfer plans, working closely with the club’s director of football, Hugo Viana. According to Florian Plettenberg from Sky Sport, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is one of City’s top transfer targets and is “strongly wanted” by Maresca, who knows him well.
The two have a great relationship from their time winning the Club World Cup and Conference League together. Fernandez joined Chelsea in 2023 for a club-record £105 million, and in the 2025/26 season, he’s scored 15 goals and made seven assists in 53 games.
Real Madrid is also interested in Fernandez, and their pursuit is well-known; Fernandez even talked about it publicly, which led to a two-game ban from Chelsea. Miguel Delaney of The Independent says Real could make a move for him this summer, and Fernandez might play his last game for Chelsea soon.
But City also want Fernandez as a possible replacement for their captain Bernardo Silva, who is leaving. According to the i Paper, City is expected to have about £200 million to spend in their first transfer window after Guardiola.
Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is another big target, with talks said to be quite advanced. City is also interested in Brentford’s Michael Kayode and Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi.
On the other hand, Silva and John Stones will leave City on free transfers, and there are rumors Real Madrid might want Rodri and Josko Gvardiol. City’s midfielder Nico Gonzalez is likely moving on after being left out of three games in a row, despite scoring a key goal in the FA Cup semi-final. Winger Savinho, who hasn’t quite hit form, might be sold for around €50 million.