The Athletic reported on Man City's situation, stating that the success of their summer transfer window has yet to be determined, while the club believes it can sign the players it needs.

The report stated that Maresca had anticipated the question. When a reporter suggested that Rodri might be the best player in his position in the world, the new Man City manager smiled and interrupted.

“So, how do we solve this problem?”

He listened to the reporter’s full question before giving an answer that initially sounded like a joke but was actually very serious.

"Try to find a new Rodri."

If one sentence were to sum up the challenge facing Maresca, the one above would be the most fitting. Alternatively, consider another statement he made at a previous press conference: "Our goal is to continue the team's development model of the past ten to fifteen years."

The aim is to find a replacement for Rodri, a World Cup Golden Ball winner and the world’s best midfielder, and to replicate the glory Man City achieved under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and, especially, Pep Guardiola, winning a total of 26 trophies.

On the day Man City began the new season against Bournemouth, the aforementioned goals seemed particularly difficult to achieve. Over the past week, the club has been inundated with news of player departures. The turmoil began last Sunday, when Man City confirmed an agreement with Barcelona for Rodri’s transfer, with a total value of up to £65.3 million (approximately $89.1 million).

Just hours before this transfer was finalized, Man City lost 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield. At the beginning of this week, there was still considerable anticipation that new arrivals would soon join the team. But the reality was that Reijnders transferred to a Qatari club for £51 million ($69.6 million); The Athletic then reported that Gonzalez might join Newcastle; Savinho was about to move to Tottenham; and Marmoush might also leave.

Man City have already signed Enzo Fernández for a club-record £116 million, but progress on further signings has been very slow since then. The club have been trying to sign Youssouf Fofana and other midfielders to strengthen the squad, but there has been no substantial progress for some time. City also expressed interest in Adam Wharton, but Crystal Palace had no intention of letting him leave.

The only target who seemed immediately attainable last week was Palmeiras winger Allan. The 22-year-old has not performed outstandingly in the Brazilian league and has never been selected for the Brazilian national team at any level, so signing him would hardly excite fans.

Maresca stated that there was a complete transfer plan behind the scenes, and there should be, but many people found it difficult to see the plan materialize.

Given the current situation, finding a “new Rodri” sounds somewhat fantastical, but Maresca has given it considerable thought. During a coffee chat in Korea, he discussed the possibility, although he could not publicly reveal what he already knew at the time: the Spanish midfielder had no intention of staying at Man City for the new season. However, he pointed out that Man City has always been able to replace superstars, even when its most important players leave.

"That's just the reality," Maresca said. "When Rodri first came here, he hadn't won the Golden Ball, the Champions League, or the Club World Cup. He achieved many major honors only after joining the club."

"Now our goal is to try to find the next Rodri. Last night I was thinking: when David Silva was with the team, everyone was worried about what would happen next; then De Bruyne came. When Agüero was in the team, everyone was also anxious, and Haaland arrived. Fernandinho left, and Rodri took over. That's how it is.

"When a key player leaves, you have to find an excellent successor. These excellent players have something in common: David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Agüero, Haaland, and one more whose name I can't recall right now. I was thinking about this just last night."

"Player turnover is normal; it's simply a change, not a problem."

Maresca admitted that several players’ determination to leave had complicated Man City’s transfer window. With the window closing on September 1st, this is likely to be Man City’s busiest summer window in recent years. This was anticipated, but the departure of multiple players and the lack of news about new signings have left fans worried all week about gaps in the squad and the team’s potential success in the post-Guardiola era.

"There are still ten days until the transfer window closes, and we hope we can complete the necessary signings," Maresca said on Friday, urging fans to be patient. "Some players want to leave for various reasons, which hinders our work. But we must learn to adapt, and we will never force players who don't want to stay to remain."

"I think all clubs and fans are in a similar situation: everyone is waiting for transfers to materialize. The norm during transfer windows is that everything is often settled in the final week, with clubs trying to keep players until the last moment to secure a higher price, which is normal. Once the transfer window closes and the full squad is in place, everything will definitely be different."

In terms of outgoing transfers, Man City have had a fruitful summer window. Several underperforming players have been sold, bringing in significant transfer revenue. Savinho still has potential, with excellent dribbling skills, but his finishing needs significant improvement. Selling him for at least £75 million is, frankly, quite remarkable.

Reijnders might have improved had he stayed for another season, but the player, who often struggled to perform last season and felt unappreciated, could fetch £51 million, which also appears to represent good business. If Nico González and Marmoush could also be transferred for close to the prices the club originally paid for them, it would be a similar situation.

However, it is alarming that all of these departing players were acquired within the last two years. Except for Savinho, all of the others joined the team within the last 18 months. While it is commendable to sell underperforming players for a high price, these individuals were originally viewed as key pieces of the team’s rebuilding process, making it difficult to believe that the club can continually unearth the next “Rodri.”

The success of Man City's entire summer window can only be judged once the transfer window has fully closed, and the club believes it can sign the players it needs. But the new season has already begun, Rodri and Bernardo Silva have both left, and with limited progress on new signings so far, there is a huge void in the team's midfield. Even if Guardiola were still in charge, such a situation would hardly be ideal, let alone with a new manager taking over a team already accustomed to the old coach's philosophy.

"If you work with the same person every day, when that person leaves, everything changes," Maresca said. "It's like I'm an actor who has worked with the same director on films for ten years. Suddenly, the director changes, and as an actor, my mindset is still stuck in the mode of working with the old director."

"Now, a new director has arrived, and the actor must adapt. This process is complex and not easy, so I say we need to look at the problem in a broader context. This is not an excuse: the team does need some time to gel, but we must also enter competition as soon as possible."

Many players have already left, and it is highly likely that more will follow, forcing Man City into the transfer market for new signings. As Maresca has realized, other clubs in the transfer market will demand exorbitant prices, partly because the transfer window is nearing its end and partly because the buyer is Man City, especially since Man City has already received a large sum of money from player sales.

They essentially have three options: pay a premium for their target players, settle for more cost-effective alternatives, or wait patiently for offers for their preferred targets to fall within a reasonable range. This means the team still has a great deal of transfer work to complete after the new season begins.

With such a difficult task ahead, Maresca will inevitably be under immense pressure, and this preparation is far from ideal. From another perspective, however, succeeding Guardiola is bound to bring pressure, and Man City will need weeks, if not months, to reach its optimal state.

If securing truly desired players at a fair price requires waiting until after the season starts to complete the signings, this may be an acceptable trade-off. However, the prerequisite is that all final operations in the transfer window proceed smoothly and as planned.

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