According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City's warm-up match in Seoul was hampered by extreme heat, leading to widespread dissatisfaction over minimal competitive gains.

The report noted the absurd conditions: with temperatures soaring, more than half the fans heeded government advice to stay indoors, while the World Cup stadium mascots were forced to sit on the sidelines sweating profusely in their heavy, plush headpieces—perhaps the most uncomfortable position imaginable.

This was one of the most unusual pre-season fixtures of the campaign, and the match itself proved equally frustrating. The extreme heat made normal football impossible, with hardly any quality play evident throughout the 90 minutes.

Gvardiol's performance exemplified the team's struggles: during stoppages, he spent most of his time crouching or leaning on teammates to rest, eagerly waiting for halftime so he could plunge into an ice bath and escape the unbearable heat.

Manchester City can only hope the match delivers strong commercial returns—though an attendance of 28,000 suggests otherwise—because there were virtually no competitive gains. The tactical patterns Maresca had refined in training proved impossible to execute; the match became purely about endurance.

While players suffered from the heat on the sidelines, supporters grew increasingly frustrated with the club's lack of transfer activity. This performance only intensified concerns: the standout player on the pitch may no longer wear a City shirt once the transfer window closes in early September.

Reijnders endured a difficult first season at the Etihad, and with Manchester City's midfield prospects uncertain, Nottingham Forest is reportedly interested in offering him a fresh start. Following an impressive debut against Wolves a year ago, Reijnders has consistently underperformed, and a potential departure would render this warm-up match even more inconsequential.

Manchester City downplayed concerns about the heat upon arriving in Seoul on Tuesday. Now, all eyes will be on how Maresca manages player preparation over the coming week. With training sessions scheduled for Thursday and Saturday and a clash against Atlético Madrid on Sunday, the manager will hope those fixtures yield far better results than this one.

Manchester City must maintain composure and strategic clarity in their transfer dealings as the window deadline approaches.

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