Maresca targets Enzo Fernandez to fill Man City's leadership void before deadline

Enzo Maresca has identified leadership as Manchester City’s most pressing need before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with the club pursuing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez in a deal that would cost more than £120 million.

The departures of Rodri and Bernardo Silva have left a significant void in City’s leadership group, with only captain Ruben Dias and striker Erling Haaland now holding the armband. Maresca is determined to address that shortfall before the window closes.

“We have experienced players, we have leaders and now we need to wait four or five more days when the transfer window closes to see if we can add one or two more captains to add to Ruben and Erling who at the moment are our two captains,” Maresca said.

Fernandez, 25, captained Chelsea regularly last season under Maresca at Stamford Bridge and was a key figure in the club’s leadership group. The Argentina international fits precisely the profile the City manager is targeting, though Maresca stressed that age alone is not the determining factor.

“It’s not all about experience, for me age does not open or close doors,” he said. “It depends how good they are. In my former club we had the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League. In this moment we are quite young in terms of squad but we also have players with the right experience.”

City have already moved to bolster their midfield this week, signing 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi for £85 million, though Maresca is not expecting the teenager to carry immediate responsibility given his age and the adjustment required.

Elsewhere, City have agreed a deal with Palmeiras for 22-year-old winger Allan, with the transfer expected to be confirmed within 48 hours. Omar Marmoush’s move to Tottenham is also close to being finalised, with a loan deal and a £60 million obligation to buy agreed between the two clubs.

The future of Jack Grealish remains unresolved. The 30-year-old came off the bench in City’s season-opening win over Bournemouth and is expected to be in the squad for the trip to Crystal Palace. Sunderland have shown interest in the winger, while Everton also remain keen on a player who spent last season on loan.