'Anything can happen' - Enzo Maresca hints at Manchester City signings as Pedro Neto transfer links intensify

New City boss Maresca has made it clear that his side are still active in the market as they look to reclaim their domestic dominance. The Italian manager, who took the reins after Pep Guardiola ended his legendary ten-year spell, has seen several veterans depart this summer.

Speaking to reporters ahead of City's pre-season friendly against the K-League All Stars in Seoul, Maresca explained the current situation. "Fortunately, this is a squad that doesn’t need to do many things," he said. "At the same time, as we already know, the club lost important players in terms of experience like Bernardo [Silva], John [Stones], Nathan [Ake], different players. So for sure, there are things that we need to do."

The most prominent name linked with a move to the Etihad is Chelsea winger Neto. The Portuguese international is a player Maresca knows well from their time together in west London. Reports suggest that City are preparing a sensational move for the £70m-rated Portugal international to bolster their attacking ranks, particularly with uncertainty surrounding the future of other wide options..

When pressed on whether any new arrivals were imminent, the manager remained coy but optimistic. "No, not at the moment," he replied when asked if a deal was close. "The reason why I said there are things to do is because the transfer window is open and when it’s open anything can happen. Yeah, it’s just August and then from September when it’s closed it’s completely different."

City have already displayed their financial muscle by completing a club-record £116 million deal for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old midfielder represents the first major investment of the Maresca era, but the departure of other stars has left fans eager for more. Specifically, the club has identified the Chelsea star as a potential replacement for Tottenham-bound winger Savinho, who is seeking more regular playing time.

Maresca emphasized that he is working closely with director of football Hugo Viana and CEO Ferran Soriano to navigate the final weeks of the window. "Hugo is here and also Ferran is here," the Italian added. "We just try to speak day by day to see if we need to do something. As I’ve said, for sure there are things that we need to do, but we are in communication every day."

On the pitch, Maresca is still finding his feet after a pre-season defeat to Inter Milan in Hong Kong. Despite the loss, he is focused on implementing his philosophy. "It’s important since day one to try to install new ideas and new things," he explained. "It’s important that day after day, but especially game after game, you can see during the game the things that you work on day by day.

"For instance, the first game against Inter Milan, for sure there are many things that we can do better. But the main thing is that I start to see things we start to work on since day one."

The manager is aware that the standard at City remains incredibly high as they prepare for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth.

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