Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca expressed confidence in his squad despite several players facing uncertain futures ahead of the Premier League opener against Bournemouth on August 23, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Key midfielder Rodri departed for Barcelona, while winger Savinho is expected to leave, linked closely with a move to Tottenham Hotspur [1, 2, 3]. Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush is also reportedly attracting interest from Tottenham but remains at City for now [1, 2, 3].
Maresca explained that players seeking to leave mostly have had limited playing time. "When the player wants to leave, then it is complicated to convince them to stay. It happened with Rodri and the same thing is happening with Savinho," he said. "Omar is different to Savinho, so we will see what happens" [1]. Besides Rodri, other departures include John Stones and Bernardo Silva, who have left the club [3].
The manager declined to discuss transfer targets directly but media reports link City with Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez. Maresca said, "Enzo is a Chelsea player, and I'm not going to talk about players that are not with us. First of all because I think it's a lack of respect, and second because I don't like when different managers talk about our players" [2].
Maresca acknowledged the scale of changes following Pep Guardiola’s decade-long tenure, during which City won six Premier League titles and 20 trophies overall. "When you make many changes, not only the manager, Rodri was here, John [Stones] was here, Bernardo [Silva] was here. It’s a big change, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t be ready to compete," he said. "I want to compete. The reason I’m here is because I want to try and win titles, and carry on what this club stands for in the last 15 years" [3].
The club suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 14, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Despite that, Maresca said, "I am not worried about our squad. Since day one we have been working with the club and many things can happen in the last 10 days of the transfer window. We know exactly what we need and then we will see over the next 10 days" [2]. He also noted the immediate pressure to start the season well: "When we win games, fans are happy. When we don’t win games, everyone is upset. It’s important to win games because we are all more happy, but no doubt we are going to win games" [3].
Winger Jeremy Doku will miss the opening match against Bournemouth due to injury [1, 2]. The Premier League opener is scheduled for Sunday, August 23, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
