The Athletic has reported on the situation at Manchester City, stating that the success or failure of their summer transfer window remains to be determined, though the club is confident it can recruit the players it needs.

According to the report, Maresca anticipated this line of questioning. When a reporter noted to him that Rodri might be the best player in his position in the world right now, Manchester City's new manager smiled and interrupted the question.

"So how do we solve this problem?"

He listened to the reporter's full question, then offered an answer that initially sounded like a joke but was entirely serious.

"Find a new Rodri."

If one sentence could summarize the challenge facing Maresca, that would be it. Or perhaps another quote from the earlier press conference: "Our goal is to continue the model of squad development over the last ten to fifteen years."

To find a replacement for the World Cup and Ballon d'Or winner, the world's best midfielder Rodri; and to replicate Manchester City's success under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini, and especially Pep Guardiola, which yielded a combined 26 trophies.

On the day Manchester City began their new season against Bournemouth, these objectives seemed daunting indeed. The past week had been filled with news of players leaving the club. The storm began last week when Manchester City confirmed a deal with Barcelona for Rodri's transfer to Barça, a move potentially worth up to £65.3 million ($89.1 million).

Just hours before this transfer was completed, Manchester City lost 0-3 to Arsenal in the Community Shield. Early in the week, there had been considerable anticipation that the team would soon welcome new recruits. Instead, the reality was: Reijnders moved to a Qatar club for £51 million ($69.6 million); then The Athletic reported that Gonzalez might join Newcastle United; Savinho is set to move to Tottenham Hotspur; and Marmoush may also depart.

Manchester City have recruited Elliot Anderson for a club-record £116 million, but progress on further signings has since stalled considerably. The team attempted to recruit Aurélien Tchouaméni and Enzo Fernández to strengthen their midfield, but meaningful progress has been limited. The club also expressed interest in Adam Wharton, but Crystal Palace showed no intention of selling.

The only target that appeared close to completion last week was Palmeiras winger Allan Elias. The 22-year-old has yet to make a significant impact in the Brazilian league and has never been called up to any level of Brazil's national team, so his recruitment would not excite fans greatly.

Maresca said there is a comprehensive recruitment plan behind the scenes, and there should be, but many find it difficult to see that plan materialize.

Given the current situation, finding a "new Rodri" sounds somewhat fanciful, but Maresca has clearly thought it through. During a coffee conversation in Korea, he discussed it, though he could not openly state what he already knew: that the Spanish midfielder had no intention of staying at Manchester City for the new season. However, he demonstrated that Manchester City has historically been capable of replacing superstars, even when the most prominent players depart.

"That's just how it is," Maresca said. "When Rodri first came here, he hadn't won the Ballon d'Or, the Champions League, or the Club World Cup. He only achieved these great honors after joining the club.

Now our objective is to try to find the next Rodri. Last night I was thinking, when David Silva was with the team, everyone worried about what would happen next; then De Bruyne arrived. When Agüero was here, everyone was equally anxious, and then Haaland came. Fernandinho left, and Rodri took up the mantle. That's how it goes.

When key players depart, you must excel at finding their successors. These great players share something in common: David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Agüero, Haaland, and one more whose name I can't recall right now. I was reflecting on this last night.

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

Maresca acknowledged that some players are determined to leave, complicating Manchester City's transfer window. Before the window closes on 1 September, this is likely to be Manchester City's busiest summer transfer window in recent years. While anticipated, the departures of several players and limited news of new recruits have left fans anxious throughout the week about squad gaps and whether the team can succeed in the post-Guardiola era.

"There are still ten days until the end of the transfer window, and I hope we can complete the necessary recruits," Maresca urged fans to be patient on Friday. "Certainly, some players want to leave for various reasons, which hampers our work. But we must learn to adapt, and we will never force players who don't wish to stay to remain.

I think all clubs and all fans are in the same situation, waiting for transfers to materialize. It's typical for transfer windows that everything gets done in the final week, and clubs try to hold on to players until the last moment to secure higher fees—that's normal. Once the window closes and the squad is complete, things will be very different."

In terms of departures, Manchester City have had a productive summer window. Several fringe players have been sold, generating significant transfer revenue. Savinho still possesses potential and outstanding dribbling skills, but his end product requires significant improvement. Selling him for at least £75 million was, frankly, quite impressive.

Reijnders might have improved with another season, but for a player who struggled last year and felt undervalued, securing £51 million is also a good deal. If Nico González and Marmoush can also depart for fees close to what the club paid for them, the situation would be similar.

However, it's worth noting that all the players leaving were recruited in the past two years. Except for Savinho, everyone else joined the team within eighteen months. While it's commendable to sell underperforming players for high fees, these individuals were initially considered key to the team's rebuild, so it's difficult to believe the club can consistently find the next "Rodri."

The success or failure of Manchester City's entire summer transfer window can only be judged once the window fully closes, and the club is confident it can recruit the necessary players. However, with the new season already underway, Rodri and Bernardo Silva departing in succession, coupled with limited progress on recruits so far, a significant gap has opened in the team's midfield. Even if Guardiola were still in charge, such a situation would be far from ideal—all the more so with a new manager taking over a team accustomed to the philosophy of his predecessor.

"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 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 arrives, and the actor must adapt. This process is complicated and not easy. So I say we need to view the situation in broader context. It's not an excuse; the team genuinely needs time to gel, but we also need to be competitive immediately."

Many players have departed, and more are likely to follow, forcing Manchester City into the transfer market to recruit. As Maresca is aware, other clubs in the market will demand very high prices, partly because the window is closing soon and partly because the buyer is Manchester City—especially given that Manchester City has received substantial funds from player sales.

Their options essentially boil down to three: pay a premium for their targets; opt for more cost-effective alternatives; or be patient and wait for reasonable offers on their desired targets. This means that after the new season begins, the team still has considerable transfer work to complete.

Facing such a daunting task, Maresca will inevitably come under considerable pressure, and such preparation conditions are far from ideal. However, from another perspective, replacing Guardiola was inherently destined to bring pressure, and Manchester City will need weeks, if not months, to reach optimal condition.

If securing the players they truly want at reasonable prices requires waiting until after the season starts to complete their recruitment, this might be an acceptable trade-off. But the prerequisite is that all final business in the transfer window must proceed smoothly as planned.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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