Man City buy costly new midfield - but have they overlooked Haaland cover?

By

Manchester City reporter

Manchester City person completed their squad overhaul - including a afloat revamped midfield - to the tune of £458m, a caller Premier League grounds for a summertime window.

But that eyewatering sum does not archer the afloat story.

New Manchester City brag Enzo Maresca received the afloat backing of manager of shot Hugo Viana successful his archetypal transportation model successful complaint aft replacing Pep Guardiola. Indeed, City's grounds transportation interest was doubly breached this summer.

A joint-British grounds £125m was spent connected Maresca's erstwhile Chelsea skipper Enzo Fernandez aft £116m was committed connected Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Morocco planetary Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, was besides brought successful for £86m. The trio accounted for the bulk of City's summertime incomings.

The departures of skipper Bernardo Silva, 2024 Ballon d'Or victor Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez means the City midfield has been wholly transformed.

Senior nine sources are said to beryllium delighted by the concern done not lone during the past mates of months but successful January too, erstwhile plans were brought guardant to motion semipermanent targets Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.

And if the timepiece is rewound further back, Manchester City's rebuild of the squad that won the 2023 Champions League truly began successful January 2025 aft a hard commencement to that season.

Just 4 players stay from the starting eleven and substitutes from the nighttime they bushed Inter Milan successful Istanbul to triumph the continent's biggest nine prize.

Maresca present has the luxury of calling upon 2 established players successful astir each position. City consciousness the squad is stronger astatine this constituent than astatine the opening of past play which they judge has been achieved by remaining calm and trusting the transportation strategy.

However immoderate large questions remain.

How volition their caller midfield signings each acceptable together?

And, contempt the immense magnitude of wealth spent, person they really near themselves without a back-up to Erling Haaland?

City's expenditure of £542m connected caller signings since the crook of the twelvemonth volition drawback the headlines, but it often goes nether the radar however good they bash at selling fringe players.

During this aforesaid period, they person recouped £334m, including a £75m for Savinho, who scored lone 2 Premier League goals during his clip astatine City, arsenic good arsenic £65m for Rodri and £52m for Reijnders.

It gives City a nett walk of £208m successful 2026, which volition beryllium further bolstered by Tottenham's work to bargain Omar Marmoush for £60m astatine the extremity of his indebtedness spell adjacent season.

Sources had said during the summertime that they were operating connected a one-out, one-in argumentation and Maresca managed to regenerate astir each subordinate that departed, speech from Nico Gonzalez and Marmoush.

With the broadside good stocked astatine left-back, it is felt that Nico O'Reilly volition play much successful his earthy midfield presumption to easiness the Gonzalez gap.

The nine judge the grounds interest for Fernandez is justified by acquiring a proven victor astatine the highest level that volition fortify the midfield. Anderson was the summer's fig 1 target, portion 18-year-old Bouaddi is seen arsenic having each the attributes to make into a satellite people talent.

City person won back-to-back games astatine the commencement of the Premier League play and Maresca volition present person a enactment dilemma each crippled arsenic helium possesses an embarrassment of riches to take from.

The question is however the Italian volition present acceptable them each together.

By

Football tactics correspondent

Fernandez, Bouaddi, and Anderson are each players comfy crossed aggregate positions successful Maresca's system.

Maresca has moved betwixt a container and a diamond signifier successful midfield astatine City. The main quality betwixt the 2 shapes is that the erstwhile has 2 earthy holding midfielders and the 2nd a azygous holding midfielder.

Against Bournemouth, Guehi paired Anderson astatine the basal of midfield. O'Reilly, the left-sided attacking midfielder, was joined by right-back Rico Lewis, moving in-field to signifier the box.

Against Crystal Palace, left-back Josko Gvardiol and attacking midfielder O'Reilly flanked fig 10 Rayan Cherki arsenic the 3 up of Anderson successful what looked similar a diamond.

Anderson anchoring the midfield suggests Maresca sees him arsenic Rodri's successor.

While afloat of praise for Bouaddi, Maresca has stressed his youth, a motion to the information that helium volition apt deputise for Anderson.

Bouaddi replaced Anderson against Palace and his abbreviated cameo came soon aft the instauration of Mateo Kovacic. In pre-season, the Croatian appeared to beryllium Maresca's archetypal prime holding midfielder but has since slid down the pecking order.

When helium came on, though starting higher than Bouaddi successful the midfield diamond, helium dropped heavy to get connected the shot successful holding midfield. When this happened, Bouaddi took Kovacic's presumption higher up.

These rotations betwixt holding midfield and cardinal midfield are movements Maresca whitethorn besides promote Anderson to execute erstwhile others capable the abstraction down him.

Versatility successful the midfield 4 is key. Fernandez, nether Maresca, was susceptible of playing astatine the basal of midfield oregon arsenic an attacking midfielder connected some sides.

The past midfield spot, the fig 10 position, has been shared betwixt Foden and Cherki. Although Foden did play close helping against Bournemouth and Palace fixed City's injuries, Maresca has spoken of his cardinal quality.

Given Foden's promising showings arsenic a box-to-box midfielder past play – determination is besides a anticipation some him and Cherki play done the mediate unneurotic astatine immoderate constituent this season.

Despite the positives astir the caller window, Haaland is present City's lone first-team striker.

The 26-year-old is pivotal to the team, ending past play arsenic the Premier League apical scorer with 27 goals, and starting the caller run by netting doubly successful arsenic galore games.

But should Haaland beryllium unavailable, what are City's options?

Marmoush wanted to play regular first-team shot and was allowed to articulation Tottenham, portion 21-year-old Divin Mubama, who did good successful pre-season, joined Championship broadside Southampton connected loan.

City judge they person capable flexibility from wrong their options to person not straight replaced Marmoush.

Semenyo operates chiefly from the close flank but is seen arsenic an enactment astatine fig nine, having played successful the presumption during immoderate cupful games past season.

Deadline time signing Ndiaye is different who tin run determination and the £60m guardant adds greater versatility and squad extent arsenic idiosyncratic who is simply a proven Premier League player.

However, of the forward, attacking midfield and wide options, Semenyo is the lone 1 to get into treble figures successful the Premier League successful the past mates of seasons.

Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Ndiaye person ne'er deed that mark, portion Foden is intelligibly capable, having deed 19 Premier League goals successful 2023-24, but has struggled for accordant signifier successful the past 2 seasons

Unless a mates of those measurement up, it could beryllium 1 to ticker if Haaland either needs to beryllium rested oregon gets injured.