Man City complete record-breaking midfield rebuild under Maresca

Manchester City have completed a major overhaul of their squad for the new season, spending a British record sum to construct a transformed midfield under new manager Enzo Maresca. The club's summer transfer business saw them break the British transfer fee record twice, culminating in the deadline-day signing of midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for a total of £125 million. This investment is part of a wider rebuild following the departure of key figures from the Pep Guardiola era. The midfield was the primary area of reconstruction after the exits of Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who joined Barcelona, captain Bernardo Silva, who departed on a free transfer to Real Madrid, and other midfielders Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez. To replace them, City recruited Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million and the highly-rated 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86 million, with Fernandez being the final, marquee addition. Together, these three signings represent a significant financial commitment and a complete transformation of the team's engine room. The scale of City's summer spending was substantial.