Enzo Maresca wants Enzo Fernandez at the Etihad and Manchester City must back their boss and get a deal done
Manchester City's manager Enzo Maresca applauds fans as he comes out for his first home game
Enzo Maresca oversaw a Manchester City win against Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the Premier League season
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Amid all the Etihad noise at full time on Sunday afternoon you could almost hear Enzo Maresca breathe out as a frantic finale earned Manchester City a dramatic come-from-behind victory to kick off the Premier League season.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the final stages, those of an Arsenal persuasion will have been pontificating about a post-Pep freefall, while others will have questioned the decision to start Marc Guehi in midfield. But Guehi turned goalscorer to level the contest and Josko Gvardiol, pushed up top for the final few minutes, finished like a seasoned striker to win the contest in added time. Breathless and bonkers.
Maresca's selection call on Sunday ultimately paid off because City won the game, but the result shouldn't take away from the bigger picture of a brave, bold and at times a flawed XI. Perhaps there was a belief from the Blues boss that starting any of Nico Gonzalez, Jack Grealish and Omar Marmoush would be foolhardy given all three either are or could be on their way out.
It was also a surprise to see Rico Lewis in the team when the lineup dropped ahead of kick-off, and then even more of a surprise to see him playing at right back with Guehi deployed in midfield. With Nico O'Reilly in the attacking role, Phil Foden out wide and Gvardiol at left back, there were arguably five players lining up out of their most obvious position.
And while all have played in those positions before, and there is mitigation in managing the minutes and fitness of those who have been at the World Cup, the team spoke of muddled thinking.
O'Reilly played at left back in the Community Shield and is viewed as a left back by those at City this season yet here he was playing in attacking midfield. Maresca spoke ahead of the Bournemouth game of Foden competing as a number 10 with Rayan Cherki and on the opening day neither was in that role.
Yet here is the hand Maresca has been dealt. Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho played full parts in the tour of Asia, both have now gone and replacements, while agreed, were not in the building in time for the season opener.
Maresca has the difficult and unenviable task of replacing Guardiola while overseeing a City rebuild. He has the character, confidence, calmness and ability to manage the transition, but he needs help from above.
Sporting Director Hugo Viana and the recruitment team have to ensure Maresca is being given the best possible outcomes to achieve the ambitions of a club that has become synonymous with success over the past decade.
The sheer volume of transfers this summer makes the task difficult, even if perhaps only Rodri of the departed players would have been in Maresca's first-choice XI, a first XI that the manager wants to strengthen with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez.
"I think City owe it to Maresca to sign Enzo Fernandez," said the MEN's Chief City Writer Simon Bajkowski on this week's Talking City podcast. "Maresca has lost Rodri, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Nathan Ake and on top of that a load of players that weren't playing have all been sold and all need to be replaced. City did say earlier in the window that they are going to replace at least everyone who goes out to give Maresca the best chance.
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"They need to do that or get as close as possible to that, but more than anything the best thing for Maresca would be to have his guy in midfield which is such a key area of the pitch. So if they are going to give Maresca the backing which they have said they will, I kind of think they have to sign Fernandez, whatever the price."
Maresca wants the Chelsea man, he knows his ability, his character and his leadership skills and believes the Argentina international can be a key lieutenant in the pivotal central midfield position.
The belief is that there is a deal to be done but that City will have to stump up £120million+ to do it. That would be a second club-record signing in a matter of weeks and raise further scrutiny and pressure on the Blues. But if Maresca is to succeed he needs backing and a show of solidarity on his first-choice addition.
City are in the final throes of a window from which they hope clarity will emerge from the chaos as August turns to September.