Enzo Maresca press conference LIVE Rodri latest and transfer updates as Man City unveil new head coach

Enzo Maresca will address the media for the first time as Manchester City head coach this afternoon.

Anderson ready for City chapter

Speaking after his £116m move to City was unveiled on Thursday, Anderson expressed his pride at moving to the Etihad Stadium.

City are one of the biggest clubs in the world and the squad they have is amazing - so strong in every position. As soon as I knew they wanted me, I was absolutely determined to make this move happen.

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One hour to go!

We are just an hour away from the start of Maresca's press conference! Stay tuned for everything he has to say...

Monga's next steps

Plenty of players could be discussed this afternoon by Maresca but hearing his thoughts on Monga would be interesting. The former Leicester man has signed for £10m this summer and, so far, he is working with the first-team ahead of the pre-season tour. It will be interesting to see if the City boss wants to keep him around, or send him out on loan this summer.

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What's on the agenda?

Here's what we expect Maresca could be asked about during his first press conference:

His Chelsea exit and how that led to City

Guardiola

Rodri

Trafford

Foden's contract

Anderson arrival

Pre-season tour

Plan for Monga this season

Aspirations for the new campaign

Fair to say it is going to be a busy one...

Mourinho unsure on Rodri

According to ESPN, the Real Madrid boss is unsure on whether or not to approach Rodri. Mourinho apparently does not doubt Rodri's ability, but fears he might not fit his preferred profile of midfielder.

City will be relieved

The City Football Group (CFG) would not stand in Guardiola's way if he wanted to take the Italy job, or any other vacancy for that matter. However, they would be lying if they said they weren't relieved by Guardiola's decision not to take the job. Guardiola has a new role at City as a Global Ambassador for CFG and he would have probably needed to leave that position, if he was to join Italy. Guardiola has so much wisdom that CFG would love to keep hold of him for as long as possible.

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Guardiola says no to Italy

On the day that Maresca is unveiled, his predecessor appears to have turned down a job. Guardiola was on Italy's shortlist to become their next head coach but it is understood the Catalonian has rejected the opportunity. Guardiola insisted he wanted some time away from the dugout and it appears he is sticking to his word.

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Trafford latest

Leeds look to be in the driving seat to sign Trafford. City's back-up goalkeeper is understood to be interested in joining the Yorkshire club despite Newcastle's long-term admiration. Maresca could be quizzed about the goalkeeper's future this afternoon.

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Maresca must brace himself for major City transfer test

Taking over from Pep Guardiola was always going to be a daunting task. Throughout his Manchester City tenure, Enzo Maresca will naturally be compared to Guardiola, with each decision analysed closely. It's an unenviable challenge. One major test of his decision-making is now looming large after developments on Thursday. Leeds have approached City for their goalkeeper James Trafford. This won't come as a surprise to Maresca. Trafford was the best second-choice goalkeeper in the league last season.

His performances in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup helped City win both domestic trophies. It was a dream scenario for Guardiola. Gianluigi Donnarumma performed well in the Premier League and Champions League, while Trafford held down the fort in his absence. City lost very little when playing either goalkeeper.

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Maresca needs more from Foden

The past couple of seasons have been tough for Foden. It feels like the City man never got a proper break after Euro 2024 and his form has suffered since then. After missing out on the England World Cup squad, the 26-year-old has had a good rest and Maresca will hope that works in his and City's favour. Foden has returned to the Etihad Campus raring to go and that's exactly what the new boss needs.

Foden vote of confidence

Foden agreed a new four-year contract on Wednesday and admitted he is looking forward to working with Maresca this season. He said:

Very exciting. You can tell by the first few sessions that I've done with him. The way he likes to play out from the back and play a lot of possession-based and it suits my game really well. I'm looking forward to that and hopefully it can help my game go to the next stage. Obviously, I've had Enzo before. When we had him in the Treble season, he was brilliant. His attention to detail, the small things that make a big difference, and even training with him at the moment, you can tell how good of a coach he is. I'm really excited to play under him and see where it goes. He's so nice. He's down to earth. He's someone that you can go to and talk about anything to him and he would help you out.

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Exciting face added to Maresca's squad

City may have lost Bernardo, Stones and Ake this summer, but they have also added an exciting new face to their squad. Elliot Anderson's move to the Etihad Stadium was confirmed on Thursday and the midfielder arrives following a brilliant World Cup with England. No doubt Maresca will discuss Anderson today.

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Guardiola's reaction to Maresca exit

Back in January, Maresca left Chelsea after a whirlwind Christmas that ended with his departure. When asked for his reaction to the news, Guardiola provided a telling response:

All I can say is that from my point of view, Chelsea have lost an incredible manager and person.

Undoubtedly, Guardiola will be delighted to hand over City to his former assistant.

Maresca wears heart on his sleeve

You never knew which Guardiola would arrive for a press conference on any given day. Last season, the pre-embargo section of one press conference lasted little more than a couple of minutes. However, the former City boss did provide some brilliant press conference moments and Maresca has been known to do similar. His Chelsea duties saw him produce some incredibly heartfelt segments that provided a glimpse at his feelings behind the scenes.

A repeat of such honesty would endear him to the City fans.

City want Rodri to stay

There is little interest from City in allowing Rodri to depart. Our colleague Jeremy Cross reported this week that the Blues will look to thwart all Real Madrid attempts to sign Rodri. However, if the midfielder wishes to leave, City may have little but to agree his exit.

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Rodri uncertainty

One of the questions likely to be posed to Maresca is around Rodri. The midfielder won the Golden Ball at the World Cup and is currently enjoying a break after the tournament. However, links to Real Madrid persist and City fans will be concerned about the midfielder potentially leaving the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Four ways Maresca can ease the transition nerves today

The Maresca era started this week when the Italian welcomed back a selection of first-team and academy stars for pre-season training.

Maresca arrives with plenty of goodwill from City supporters but there is no denying that he has big shoes to fill. He will conduct his first press conference as City boss today. This will be the first time Maresca has properly addressed the media since taking over from Guardiola and gives him the chance of a proper introduction before the chaos of a pre-season tour and new campaign begins.

It's only natural for some fans to worry given City have said goodbye to the most successful manager in their history, so MEN Sport has taken a look at four ways Maresca can ease City nerves when answering some major questions this afternoon.

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When will we hear from Maresca?

City's head coach is expected to address the media at 1.30pm this afternoon. Once Maresca sits down, we will bring you everything he has to say.

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Hello!

Hello and welcome to coverage of Maresca's first press conference as City head coach. The Italian is only the Blues' eighth permanent boss this century and today is a milestone for this new era. Guardiola's exit at the end of last season leaves Maresca with big shoes to fill.

City's decision-makers agreed that Maresca was the right man to replace the legendary manager. That should give City fans some comfort as they embark on this new adventure.

Today is an opportunity for Maresca to set his stall out. His responses to questions about replacing Guardiola and the futures of some of his City stars will be studied closely, as will his approach to transfers.

City fans can expect to end today with a better understanding of what the next chapter looks like.

Stay tuned for updates...

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