Manchester City have been intent on replacing any players who left the Etihad Stadium this summer in a bid to give Enzo Maresca a squad capable of challenging for the biggest prizes in football. They look unlikely to stick to that plan, but if they do then they’re in for a frantic final day of the transfer window.
Ayyoub Bouaddi’s arrival last week was understood to be seen as supplementary to the replacements they would look to sign for any outgoing players. With Rodri, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders all leaving City over the last few weeks, we’re waiting for their replacements.
Enzo Fernandez could yet be the marquee signing of City’s summer. City were set for talks with Chelsea over the weekend, and if a deal can be reached then the fee City will pay will almost definitely eclipse the £116million they paid for Elliot Anderson earlier in the summer.
City have always remained confident they would land the Argentina international, but with the 11pm deadline approaching and Chelsea keen to find a replacement before sanctioning Fernandez’s exit, a breakthrough needs to come very soon.
Manu Kone is another player City are interested in as they seek to beef up their midfield options, but even if the Blues manage to pull off moves for Fernandez and Kone they would still be one midfielder short of the target they set earlier in the summer. City could test the waters with Adam Wharton despite Crystal Palace insisting he is not for sale, and while Alexis Mac Allister was mooted as a possible option for City earlier in the window, his father has ruled out the possibility of him leaving Anfield this summer.
City’s replacement policy also applies to other areas of the squad. Savinho’s exit to Tottenham has been offset by the arrival of Allan Elias from Palmeiras in a deal that could be worth up to £34.2m, but the hole left by Omar Marmoush’s exit still needs to be filled. Iliman Ndiaye is on City’s radar and it’s understood a package worth up to £65m has been agreed with Everton.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo had seemed the more likely man to replace Marmoush in the City squad. But news broke on Monday night that City had walked away from a deal after having a bid worth a total of £80m rejected. A Liverpool player moving to City would have just about summed up what has probably been the barmiest transfer window in recent memory.
And then there is the Jack Grealish saga. It had been mooted that Grealish could have been used as a makeweight in a deal for Ndiaye. Maresca was asked about Grealish after the victory over Crystal Palace on Friday, and his response did little to suggest Grealish would remain at the Etihad beyond today’s deadline, saying: “We’ll see what happens in the next 48-72 hours.”
Plenty of uncertainty in the final knockings of the transfer window, but what is certain is we’re in for a fascinating deadline day.
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