Manchester City's new era under Enzo Maresca begins with the departures of manager Pep Guardiola and midfielder Rodri, who joined Barcelona. The 30-year-old Rodri is expected to contend for a second Ballon d'Or after his role in Spain's World Cup triumph, representing a significant loss for a player capable of controlling matches domestically and in the Champions League. Defenders John Stones and Nathan Aké and midfielder Bernardo Silva have also left the club.
City have signed midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million after he impressed for England at the World Cup. Maresca and director of football Hugo Viana believe Anderson can run City's midfield following Rodri's departure. The 23-year-old will have the opportunity to operate in a midfielder role that suits his distribution abilities, with flashes at the World Cup showing his capacity for both long-range passing and shorter, precise play.
Forward Erling Haaland remains at the club and is expected to be a favourite for the Premier League Golden Boot. The status of midfielder Phil Foden, who signed a new contract, is less certain. Rayan Cherki, who made limited appearances for France at the World Cup with one start and six substitute outings, is also part of the squad.
Set-piece defending has been identified as an area for improvement. City conceded more league goals from set pieces last season than in the two previous campaigns combined, with corner kicks leading to losses at Aston Villa and Newcastle. Maresca's Chelsea team conceded from set plays at a similar or slightly worse rate during the 2025-26 season. The Etihad Stadium's expanded capacity to 61,000 was completed with the opening of the Pep Guardiola Stand during the former manager's final home game. Officials announced the club had frozen ticket prices for a third consecutive season, with new flexi season tickets and £10 seats available in the new stand.
Maresca said taking the City job was "fantastic, nice and exciting" and described it as a privilege. The 46-year-old, who won the Championship with Leicester and the Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, has no doubt about the role, according to remarks attributed to him. Chair Khaldoon al-Mubarak, Viana and chief executive Ferran Soriano all emphasise that City must continue to win games and titles while improving the club season after season, Maresca said.
