The loss of Rodri, who was an unused substitute on Sunday, will be a major blow to City's midfield, with Mateo Kovacic, 32, not being the long-term solution. Enzo Fernández, who worked with Maresca at Chelsea, was lined up as a replacement for Rodri but City did not submit a bid before the Friday deadline. This lack of midfield depth is a major concern for City, who are already struggling to replace the departed Bernardo Silva.
City's squad looks a little short, with only Dias and Marc Guéhi being the only defenders over 25. The team's attacking midfielders are plentiful, but Omar Marmoush has never really convinced as a back-up to Erling Haaland. The £200m spree in January 2025 may have helped stop the rot, but the players who came in then would not be badly missed now. Tijjani Reijnders, brought in last summer for £50m, is about to be shipped on, and Rayan Aït-Nouri was a baffling signing when he arrived.
Maresca must have looked at Arsenal's squad, the extraordinary options available to Mikel Arteta in midfield, and despaired. City's midfield issue desperately needs resolving, and it remains to be seen how Maresca will address this problem.