Maresca calls £116m Anderson a 'dream' as he outlines City's midfield pecking order

Enzo Maresca has named Elliot Anderson as Manchester City’s preferred holding midfielder, calling the £116m former Nottingham Forest man a ‘dream’ to coach after a summer in which City spent £320m reshaping their midfield.

Anderson was the first signing of the Maresca era and has quickly been deployed in front of the defence, tasked with linking the backline to the attack. Maresca also brought in Ayyoub Bouaddi and Enzo Fernandez during the transfer window, but it is Anderson who currently holds priority for the deepest midfield role.

“The idea was to have Elliot close to the central defender for different reasons: for the transition, for the build-up,” Maresca said. “Both, they can play, they are a No.6 at the moment. But it depends the way we want to build and press, or use the other one a bit higher.”

Bouaddi is also viewed as a natural No.6, but in City’s recent match against Brighton he was deployed alongside Fernandez rather than next to Anderson, with Fernandez used higher up the pitch. Maresca acknowledged the flexibility within his squad, citing Anderson, Bouaddi, Fernandez, Rayan, Phil, and Mateo Kovacic as options he rotates depending on the game plan.

“It’s a matter of balance,” Maresca added. “Game by game it depends a little bit on the game plan to use different players. For me, Elliot in this moment is playing more as the holding midfielder, but in future he can also play a little bit more up front.”

Maresca was particularly effusive about Anderson’s attitude in training and in video sessions, suggesting the England international’s willingness to learn sets him apart.

“Knowing him now, he’s a guy who wants to learn every day. We sat with him with a video. He wants to understand things, he wants to learn and improve and for a manager it’s a dream because you know that he wants to learn and you can do different things.”

The comments offer the clearest picture yet of how Maresca intends to use his expensively assembled midfield, with Anderson firmly at its base for now and Bouaddi’s long-term role still taking shape.