A new solution with different roles: Enzo Fernandez is more than just a "Rodri replacement" at Manchester City

Replacing Rodri like for like was never a realistic option for Manchester City, but the Spaniard's exit forced Maresca to hunt for fresh solutions in one of the most important areas of the pitch.

The Italian coach needs someone who can dictate the tempo from deep in his preferred 4-2-3-1, and Enzo could offer the team a different model to the one Rodri delivered.

Ball progression sets the Argentine apart. He ranked seventh among Premier League central midfielders last season for forward passes, racking up 561, according to "Squawka" statistics.

New teammate Elliot Anderson tops that metric with 810 passes, which could hand City a different shape when building play from midfield.

Anderson is expected to take on the greater share of the defensive duties and ball recovery, while Enzo is given more freedom to create play and push the team forward.

The England international topped the league for ball recovery in the 2025-2026 season, winning it back on 306 occasions, 154 of them in the middle third of the pitch.

Those figures could hand Maresca the chance to build a balanced partnership, especially with Enzo ranking fourth among midfielders for accurate through-balls after completing 11.

The main difference between him and Rodri comes down to the nature of the risk-taking. The Spaniard leaned more heavily on retaining the ball and controlling the tempo. Enzo plays more directly and looks for quicker passes into the attacking areas.

Rodri topped the Premier League for passes per 90 minutes last season, averaging 96.1. Enzo managed just 58.8, placing him 29th.

The most important question remains whether Enzo Fernández can play the tempo-setter role in Manchester City's midfield, particularly since Maresca's approach leans heavily on patience, control and retention of the ball.

The Italian may find what he wants in the version of the player Argentina got, rather than the one Chelsea saw at times during his spells there.

Enzo was pivotal in his country's run to the 2026 World Cup final. His campaign ended with a red card in that final, which Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain.

According to Squawka, the 25-year-old completed 93.5% of his passes during the tournament and averaged 69.3 passes per 90 minutes. Those figures underline his ability to control the tempo when it matters.

His influence stretched further. Argentina posted a passing accuracy of 89.3%, the fifth-best rate in the tournament, and a third of their attacks came through the centre, proof of how much the midfield mattered in creating play.

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Enzo Fernández offers more than positional cover. His arrival hands Maresca genuine flexibility.

The Argentine can sit in the holding pair of a 4-2-3-1, or he can push forward into the playmaker role if the manager decides to trust more defensive options behind him.

Should that happen, Buonanotte and Anderson could pair up in midfield, leaving Enzo a more advanced role close to the forwards.

Manchester City are heading towards a change in the way their midfield operates. Rodri cannot be replaced directly, and that forces Maresca to find different solutions after the end of a long era the club lived through under Pep Guardiola.

That change may be necessary to open a new chapter at the Etihad. Enzo Fernández looks set to be one of the most prominent figures of this transition, given his ability to create play, carry the ball forward and fill more than one position.

Whether the deal works still depends on the Argentine adapting to Manchester City's requirements. Maresca knows exactly what his former player can offer, which explains the late and decisive move to complete one of the biggest deals of the summer.