Enzo Fernandez snubbed! Enzo Maresca confirms four new Man City captains as £125m record signing left out of leadership group

Manchester City’s new £125m man Fernandez has been hit with an early setback following his blockbuster move from Chelsea. Despite being a marquee arrival at the Etihad Stadium, City head coach Maresca has opted not to include the 2022 World Cup winner in his four-man captaincy group for the new campaign.

The Argentine midfielder officially joined the Citizens on deadline day, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract and stating he had 'always dreamed of being at a club as big as Man City' in a brutal dig at his former club. However, dreams of immediate leadership have been put on ice.

Speaking to the media ahead of City’s upcoming Premier League fixture against Coventry City, Maresca was asked directly if his latest signing would be handed a leadership role. The Italian tactician was blunt in his response, confirming that the hierarchy has already been established without the former Benfica man. "No, the captain is Ruben [Dias], Erling [Haaland], Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma," the manager told reporters during his Friday press conference.

This new-look leadership team reflects the significant turnover in the City squad following the departures of Rodri and Bernardo Silva. While Dias and Haaland represent the continuity of the Pep Guardiola era, the inclusion of Guehi and Donnarumma shows Maresca's willingness to integrate newer faces.

The snub is particularly notable considering Fernandez’s history at Stamford Bridge. During his three-year stint in London, the midfielder wore the captain’s armband 57 times, including 43 appearances under Maresca himself.

Despite the lack of an official title, the manager insists the squad is buzzing about the arrival of the 25-year-old. Maresca highlighted the excitement within the camp, stating: "He is a winner and when you belong to a squad and another winning player arrives, they are always happy. I can promise you that in the last four or five days four or five players from the squad were asking if he is coming or not because they want him to be with us. It's very important that he is with us and we are 100 per cent happy with that."

While the leadership group is settled, Fernandez is expected to play a massive role on the pitch immediately. Maresca confirmed that the midfielder is "ready" to make his debut this weekend as City look to maintain their momentum.