Manchester City have just closed a summer market that changed almost every important part of Enzo Maresca’s squad. The Manchester City Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026 starts with one striking fact: City spent about £457.5 million, according to the Premier League’s transfer roundup and Guardian figures, with £125 million on Enzo Fernández alone. The club did not simply replace a few ageing pieces. They rebuilt the midfield, refreshed the attack and cleared several long-serving names from the dressing room.
The scale of the reset makes sense only in the context of the managerial change. Pep Guardiola stepped down after 10 seasons and 20 major trophies, while Maresca took charge on a three-year contract. The former City coach returned with a clear brief: keep the competitive standards high while reshaping a squad that had become heavily associated with Guardiola’s methods. Hugo Viana then backed him with spending rarely seen at the Etihad. City made four of the Premier League’s biggest deals of the summer, including two above £100 million.
Manchester City Transfer Window Review – midfield reset
The heart of the recruitment sits in central midfield, where City spent roughly £327 million on three major additions. Elliot Anderson arrived from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, Ayyoub Bouaddi joined from Lille for a deal worth up to £86 million, and Enzo Fernández completed the overhaul from Chelsea at £125 million.
Those numbers alone explain how aggressively the new regime attacked a major weakness. Anderson brings energy, running and Premier League know-how; Bouaddi gives Maresca a strong young option, while Fernández offers control, passing range and experience at the highest level.
Yet City had to rebuild because the old midfield disappeared at pace. Rodri joined Barcelona for a reported £65.4 million, Tijjani Reijnders moved to Al Qadsiah for around £51 million, while Bernardo Silva and John Stones left after their contracts ended. Nico González departed for Newcastle for about £50 million, adding another senior body to the clear-out. The outgoing list shows just how much authority Maresca has inherited over the squad rather than simply taking Guardiola’s side and making minor adjustments.
Manchester City Transfer Window Review – attack gets a new look
City’s forward line received a lift through Iliman Ndiaye, who joined Everton on a five-year contract after two productive seasons on Merseyside. The Senegal international gives Maresca another player who can attack from wide areas or move centrally, and his Premier League record made him a fairly low-risk addition despite the £65 million maximum reported for the deal. Allan Elias arrived from Palmeiras for around £34 million including potential add-ons, adding pace, directness and another young option for the flanks.
There was a sizeable outgoing story here too. Tottenham signed Savinho for a reported £85 million, while Omar Marmoush moved to Spurs on loan with a mandatory purchase clause that could reach £60 million. Jack Grealish joined Everton on loan, removing another sizeable salary commitment. These moves leave Erling Haaland as the obvious central striker, with Maresca likely to rely on the flexibility of Ndiaye and other attackers if the Norwegian needs a rest or misses a match.
The goalkeeper department received a quieter adjustment. Gerónimo Rulli arrived from Marseille for a reported £1.7 million, while James Trafford joined Leeds United for £40 million. Rulli gives City an experienced reserve option behind Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Trafford’s sale underlines how well City can turn academy or young domestic assets into major transfer income.
Jeremy Monga and Pierce Charles joined as younger recruits, showing that the spending spree did not stop the club from continuing their long-standing focus on developing future first-team players.
One concern, though, sits at centre-back, where departures reduce senior depth and make fitness management harder across a long campaign packed with league and European fixtures for Maresca too.
The other notable detail sits in the sheer breadth of the departures. City released Bernardo Silva and John Stones, sold Nathan Aké to Fenerbahçe and shifted a long list of younger players on loans. That turnover gives Maresca fewer links to the old dressing room, but it should give him clearer roles across the squad. Pre-season planning now gives way to league pressure, and the new midfield will face its first serious test almost immediately. Now.
The financial picture looks huge at first glance, but the sales soften the blow. City generated substantial fees from Savio, Rodri, Reijnders, González and Trafford, alongside smaller receipts elsewhere, while several contracts simply expired. Sky Sports lists Savinho at £85 million, Rodri at £65.4 million, Reijnders at £51 million, González at £50 million and Trafford at £40 million.
Add Marmoush’s mandatory future purchase and the overall recovery becomes even more significant. City still spent heavily, but the club also reshaped their wage structure and opened space for a younger squad.
What makes this window so fascinating is the contrast between the size of the fees and the age profile of much of the recruitment. Anderson, Bouaddi and Allan all point to a squad built for several seasons rather than one rushed campaign. Fernández brings the experience, while Ndiaye adds established Premier League quality. Maresca therefore gets a mixed group: expensive stars, emerging talent and a handful of survivors from Guardiola’s era.
There will be questions immediately. Can Fernández and Anderson reproduce their best football in a midfield without Rodri? Can Bouaddi handle the attention that follows an £86 million move? Can Ndiaye produce enough end product to justify his fee? Those answers matter more than any headline figure because Maresca has to turn a collection of major purchases into a coherent side quickly.
City have certainly given him the tools. They have spent more than £450 million, completed the biggest Premier League transfer of the summer, and replaced several central figures with players whose profiles suggest a different style of football. The Manchester City Transfer Window Review – Summer 2026 therefore ends with a squad that looks younger, more athletic and far less familiar than it did in May, with Fernández arriving as the final statement of intent just before the window slammed shut.
