'Is he coming?' - Enzo Maresca reveals Manchester City stars begged for Enzo Fernandez transfer ahead of £125m deal

The arrival of Fernandez from Chelsea has sent shockwaves through the Premier League, but it appears the Manchester City squad were already well aware of the impact the 2022 World Cup winner would have. Maresca, who previously worked with the 25-year-old Argentina international at Stamford Bridge before his deadline day move to City for a joint-British record £125m, admitted that the demand for the midfielder's signature came from within the dressing room as well as the boardroom.

Speaking ahead of a potential debut against Coventry City on Saturday, Maresca highlighted the buzz among the senior figures at the club. 'I just said 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.'

Maresca is under no illusions about what the 25-year-old brings to his newly-revamped midfield. Having worked closely with him in London - where Fernandez registered 31 goals and 30 assists in 170 appearances for Chelsea while lifting the Club World Cup and Conference League - the City boss believes the midfielder possesses the psychological edge required to succeed in a team chasing multiple trophies.

'I know Enzo quite well and I know what he can bring to the team,' Maresca noted when discussing the player's readiness for the rigours of the Etihad. 'He is a winner - a winner's mentality and knows how to win [after] the World Cup, Club World Cup.'

While Fernandez held the captaincy under Maresca at Chelsea, the hierarchy at City will look slightly different. The manager confirmed that Ruben Dias has been officially named the new club captain, succeeding the departed Bernardo Silva. The leadership group will also feature Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite the change in status, Fernandez's desire to move to Manchester was clear, even if it meant leaving Xabi Alonso's project behind.

Alonso, reflecting on the departure, maintained a professional stance regarding the record-breaking sale. The Spaniard stated: 'In football many things happen. With Enzo we have had conversations and always with respect. What he has done for the club has been great, but now it's time to move forward. We have players with quality in every position and now we are ready to go.'

City spent a record-breaking £458m on new signings during the window, headlined by a £327m overhaul of their midfield with the additions of Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi. The English giants also brought in wingers Iliman Ndiaye and Allan, alongside back-up goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, while successfully recouping over £300m through player departures.

'I am very happy for the effort from the ownership, [chairman] Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] and [director of football] Hugo [Viana]. Very happy. In the last days, Iliman and Enzo arrived, and now the squad is complete - it's finished. Now it is time to work,' Maresca concluded.