Manchester City have completed their squad overhaul, including a fully revamped midfield, at a cost of £458m — a new Premier League record for a summer transfer window.
But that eye-watering sum does not tell the full story.
New Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca received the full backing of director of football Hugo Viana in his first transfer window in charge after replacing Pep Guardiola. Indeed, City’s record transfer fee was broken twice this summer.
A joint-British record £125m was spent on Maresca’s former Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez, after £116m was committed to Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, was also brought in for £86m. The trio accounted for the bulk of City’s summer signings.
The departures of captain Bernardo Silva, 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez mean City’s midfield has been completely transformed.
Senior club sources are said to be delighted with the business conducted not only over the past couple of months but also in January, when plans were brought forward to sign long-term targets Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi.
And if the clock is rewound even further, Manchester City’s rebuild of the team that won the 2023 Champions League really began in January 2025, following a difficult start to that season.
Just four players remain from the starting XI and substitutes who featured on the night City beat Inter Milan in Istanbul to win the continent’s biggest club prize.
Maresca now has the luxury of calling upon two established players in almost every position. City believe their squad is stronger at this stage than it was at the beginning of last season, something they attribute to remaining calm and trusting their transfer strategy.
However, some big questions remain.
How will all of their new midfield signings fit together?
And despite the vast amount of money spent, have they actually left themselves without adequate cover for Erling Haaland?
