Enzo Maresca anticipates plenty of activity before the transfer window closes, although he says Manchester City will not comply with Chelsea’s Friday 5pm deadline for a deal involving Enzo Fernández.
Maresca will oversee City in a major fixture for the first time when they face Arsenal in Sunday’s Community Shield in Cardiff, but his squad for the new season remains far from settled. City are nearing an agreement for Lille’s 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and are also interested in Fernández, who previously played under Maresca at Stamford Bridge. However, Chelsea value him at £120m and have given City until 5pm on Friday to meet that price.
“Honestly, I do not expect anything to happen today,” Maresca said. “There is certainly work that still needs to be done, but whether that involves one move or two may depend on players wanting to leave. The final is only 48 hours away and it will be my first with this club. I want to win my first trophy here, so I am concentrating on the match rather than possible arrivals or departures.”
City have turned down two Barcelona offers for Rodri, while Tijjani Reijnders is likely to depart within the next few days.
Rodri has one year left on his contract and returned to the club on Friday after taking a break following his successful World Cup campaign. Maresca declined to provide a clear answer about the midfielder’s short-term future, with Barcelona expected to submit another proposal.
“The market remains open, so players can be signed or sold and every outcome is possible. I have just seen Rodri at the training ground and welcomed him back with a big hug. He appears to be in good condition, and we will have to wait and see what happens.”
Reijnders is poised to move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Qadsiah after an agreement worth £51m was reached. The Dutch midfielder joined City from Milan last summer but is seeking more consistent opportunities to play.
“Every member of the squad trains throughout the week and naturally hopes to feature in the next match,” Maresca said. “Those who are left out can find it difficult to accept or understand the decision, and I recognise why some players may want more minutes after spending a season with limited opportunities. That is entirely normal.”
James Trafford has already completed a move to Leeds, while Omar Marmoush, Rico Lewis and Savinho could also leave after playing limited roles during Pep Guardiola’s last season in charge.
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