A big summer for... Manchester City

0:00Nothing less than winning is going to be accepted at City with what's gone on over the last 10 years.

0:09It's been confirmed that Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City at the end of the season. I never could imagine the amount of love. I have been an incredible, tremendous honour to be your manager, to be here during 10 years. It has been f***ing fun. It's an end of an era. Arguably, he is the greatest manager we've ever seen in England. It's been an open secret that he was going to be leaving Manchester City. And I think it's an open secret that Enzo Maresca is the favourite to take over from him. Yes, I can confirm this afternoon. One of the worst kept secrets in football, admittedly. But Enzo Maresca is now officially the new Manchester City manager.

0:59replacing Pep Guardiola, taking over after 10 years of Pep. We have a new man in charge. Very significant breaking news. Manchester City have confirmed they have reached agreement with Nottingham Flores to sign Elliot Anderson. He becomes the first signing of the post-Pep Guardiola era. This is the ultimate task. Enzo Moresca is going to have to go in and become a champion straight away.

1:25It's a new era at Man City. after a decade of incredible success. Pep Guardiola is gone and Enzo Mureska is in to take up the reins. Now Man City have provided him with Elliot Anderson, breaking that British transfer record to get him in. That's just part of a huge and expensive rebuild going on at City. I'm going to dive into it now. I'm Peter Smith and this is a big summer for Man City podcast special on Sky Sports and I'm joined by two reporters who cover the club closely. Ben Ransom, familiar face on Sky Sports News. Of course, you were there, Ben, breaking the news about Pep going. Seems a long time ago.

2:01We've had a busy summer since then, haven't we? We really have. And it felt like that news took about six weeks to break as well. But, yeah, delighted that we now know what direction the club's definitely going in. And I think you're right. I think it's exciting. Yeah, and Laura Hunt is here as well. Features writer on the Sky Sports website. Cover City regularly, Laura. How are you feeling about this big change at City? I think the reporters were ready for it, weren't they? yeah i think that was the talk in the press room you know especially the back the back end of the season i think everybody was ready for a little bit of a change particularly you ben you've spoken to pep for about 10 years haven't you pep was ready for a change um yeah look i mean on that i think what was strange was there was a period maybe rewind like 18 months pep he didn't feel like he was enjoying it anymore and actually when you saw the weight lift and that was one of my of visual clues actually that I felt he had made a decision in his own mind a few months into this latest season gone he started to cheer up he was more funny he was holding court again like he used to and I thought there's a mind of someone I'm sure I might have said this to you like the mind of someone who I think has made their mind up where his future is going and the fact that you know you know it's like when you make a big life decision that weight is off your shoulders right yeah it unburdened him a little bit didn't it and it all became a bit more light-hearted a bit more jokey and jovial in press conferences and he turned up to every match day in a t-shirt.

3:26He did, he did. And it's interesting because it was his decision to make in the end, wasn't it? He's obviously in that privileged position that not many managers have where he could basically call time on his own spell at Man City but just the 20 trophies, Ben, he managed to rack up during those 10 years. I'm still not counting community shows. I'm sorry. Well, I think he will. He has done. I've had this out with him on numerous occasions. He said, as a trophy, we have to get one when we have to play for it and I say, Pep, it's a charity game. Come on! We all turn up then. I turn up there and I sit there and I do the report.

3:57But you're right. I mean, it's incredible. And actually what I will say, the way the club gave him the send off I thought was brilliant. Yes, it felt like the long goodbye, but the event where they had the parade with the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and then they brought out on stage in that indoor event at the Cob Live, every single one of those 20 trophies I thought was incredible. Just to see visually the scale of what he's achieved in 10 years. magnificent. So how do you follow that act? Enzo Mureska, that's the challenge, isn't it? Now, sort of mentioned there that Guardiola, yes, made his decision and how he came to that decision.

4:29How well prepared were City for his exit or our City for this transition period they've now gone into as they bring in Mureska as his replacement? I'd say well prepared. Obviously, they've been thinking about this eventuality for a long time. There have been times during the last 10 years when they may have felt that they had to start coming up with a plan B should Pep decide to leave. But you're right, because of the trophies, he could call time in his own career. Make no mistake about that. So everyone at the club was obviously having to wait on Pep's decision. Then when Pep had made that decision, even then, and this is why, if you remember, the last few weeks of the season before we got the official confirmation he was going, even though we knew he was going, there was still just a hint.

5:13Everyone was giving themselves that room to go, well, if he changes his mind, if he turned around, having won the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup and gone, do you know what? Actually, I want to stay. The club would have loved to have him to stay. And he could have done that. But look, I think he knew the time was probably right. And I think that the club have obviously been planning a long time. They've obviously done a lot of homework in terms of potential future or next managers. The list at one point contained the likes of Ruben Amarim and Ange Postacoglu, which tells you that they've had to reinvent this list a few times because can you imagine either of those at Manchester City?

5:47Absolutely not. Not that. No. But Maresca, they've always had a lot of admiration for since he was at the club. Obviously, he's been there in two spells before. Khaldun Al Mubarak, the chairman, a massive fan. I think the quote from him years ago when he was in the academy was one essentially that said, I see this man as being a future Manchester City manager, potentially. And now he is. Well, we don't know when the talks definitely started. but Chelsea have indicated that they were told in the autumn of last year that Maresca came to them and said, look, City have approached me as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola.

6:22It's something I'm interested in pursuing. Chelsea subsequently have made their frustrations about that whole saga pretty clear, not happy at all. I think Maresca or City are going to have to pay Chelsea quite a substantial sum because of the contract that Maresca had there and obviously he left at the start of January, Chelsea. but he does take up the reins, Laura. Is he the ideal next manager to come in in terms of style of play? Yeah, I mean, I think it's clear that Mariska has been appointed to kind of help this smooth transition away from Pep and he knows the club, he's worked within the framework and his style of football is broadly very similar to what they kind of played under Pep.

7:06So there's a degree of continuity and familiarity there. Plus, he's known for months that he was walking into this job. He's had prep time. He will have done his homework. I think the challenge really for him will be having to compete for the Premier League title in year one. I don't think he will be afforded a grace period. And that's not to say that he has to win it in year one. But I think he has to be in the race. He'll have targets to hit. And that brings a significant amount of pressure. So we'll have to start well. I was looking at his first three fixtures. was Bournemouth, Palace and Cov.

7:41And I think that's a pretty kind run to be able to kind of set your stool out and get a little bit of rhythm early on. And then his first big test, in Premier League terms anyway, is that Man United fixture in mid-September, which feels like that will be his kind of proper measure. Yeah. In terms of the style of play that he's going to bring there, I think we've seen over, certainly through last season, Pep changing it and being a little bit more direct than perhaps he had been in previous seasons. So what did we see from Maresca at Chelsea and how similar will that football be to what he plays at Man City?

8:15Do you think with the players he's got there? Yeah, I think in terms of football, it's not quite rinse and repeat, but there are plenty of similarities there. It's a possession based style. He likes control. They'll be put out in an aggressive press. But I think the structure will be slightly different. I think Maresca's style is slightly more rigid. He likes to play with those wide positioning wingers in the more traditional sense. and they make the pitch bigger, they stretch the pitch more. I think under Pep, especially in this last season where we saw that kind of 4-1, 4-1 style, much like Spain have played at the World Cup, they make it quite compact.

8:52Those wingers tuck inside, they almost invert, and then you get that kind of central, very congested central area, but because they pop it around so quickly, it works. I think at Chelsea, Mareski used more of a 4-2-3-1 set up with wingers who play high and wide. And I think City have plenty of those types of players to be able to make that work. You look at Doco, Semenyu, Savinho, if he stays, you've got plenty of those types of players to make that style of football work. But recently they've been coached by Pep to play in a style where they tuck inside and rotate centrally. That's the shift, yeah.

9:31Yeah, I think so. I think so. OK, thanks guys. We're just going to catch our breath there because we're going to take a quick break. And then when we come back, we're going to talk about that huge Elliot Anderson transfer and how Man City are comparing to their potential Premier League title rivals.

10:13Transcription by CastingWords or wherever you get your podcasts. See you soon.

10:25Welcome back to this special Sky Sports podcast, a big summer for Man City. In terms of those players, Ben, Elliot Anderson, he's the headline name really, isn't he? The formalities still need to be completed on that deal, but it's pretty much all done and dusted, isn't it? £115 million, say the most ever paid for a British player. But that's part of an£824 million spend in the past three years from Man City. I mean, they're huge numbers. Only Chelsea have spent more in that time. They're up a billion. I guess that sort of reflects this huge change and transition and transformation that's gone on in this squad over recent seasons.

11:06How much of that has been with the next man in to follow Guardiola in mind? how much of this was part of the master plan that they'd sign these certain players, seemingly bring the age of the squad down as well, and then have Mareska come in and use those players? I think they would have done that whether Pep was staying or not. I think that's right to say, because obviously the likes of Bernardo Silva and John Stones leaving, these are hugely experienced players. They've been there for every one of Pep's 20 trophies, if we're giving him 20. And they are key leaders in the dressing room, right?

11:42So this is, they're two of the players that this whole foundation had been built on. But obviously, as we know in football, it goes in cycles. Pep has reinvented this team a couple of times in his 10 years. And now, naturally, we're at the point where it needed reinventing again. And actually, that process started, didn't it? Actually, not last season, the season before, when they went, again, they went and spent in January, the likes of Omar Mahmouche, who, yeah, has been a bit of a miss, probably. But they spent money that season because they needed a player in a season they were struggling.

12:12Kusinov, though, came in, for example, and he looks like he could be the central defender that carries City through the next five years. So they have been looking to obviously get the age of the squad down. And also, I think I have to say, City will always point to net spend too, because as much as, and Pep used to get annoyed with me whenever I asked a question about transfers, and I'd quite often mention the fees, because they are big fees, but two things on that. The top club always spends big money, is because they need players who are at elite levels. They need players who can win league titles.

12:44I mean, I'm old enough to have watched the Fergie Manchester United years. Every summer, United pretty much just went out and bought the best player in the Premier League for, I mean, at the time, it was like 20, 30, 40, 50 million, wasn't it? I mean, now we're into the hundreds, right? But that's always happened. The most successful teams do it. Man City backing up with trophies, by the way. Chelsea haven't really done that, you know. And in terms of their net spend, like they're below the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, Man United, and these are all teams and clubs that have had a lot less success.

13:14And City's academy is a huge part of that. They make so much money out of players that may not even see a City first team appearance, you know. But then you look at someone like, I don't know, a good example recently is Pedro Porro. You know, he's playing in a World Cup final. So they have immense talent at their disposal. They're very smart with their recruitment. That's why they're able to spend this big money. And in terms of Anderson, I think it's a really key signing. Clearly they realised that area of the pitch needed impetus. They don't know what's happened with Roger yet. I know we're going to get on to that.

13:42Bernardo Silva though has gone. There is a hole. He's a perfect fit because he's so versatile in the middle of the pitch and can play a number of roles. Yeah, Laurie obviously been impressed with Elliot Anderson's performances for Forrest last year, but he's just been out of the World Cup with England as well. What's he going to add to that midfield that City are looking to bring in for such a huge fee? I'm a massive fan of Anderson. I really am. I think he's got everything. I think he's the whole package and he's 23 years old. So he's still got loads of growing and evolving to do. So I think he's one of them that's a signing for now, but he's also a signing for the future.

14:15He's the kind of big player who can carry them forward. And I know the fee sounds staggering,£115 million. That's so much money. But we've seen this move towards£100 million midfielders, central midfielders emerge over the last few years. we look at Enzo Fernandes and Moises Casado at Chelsea, then we had Rice to Arsenal and now we've got Anderson to Man City. And I think it just follows the pattern of the market. Whether we agree with that or not is a different conversation. But central midfielders have become premium property. And what I also think that it does for City is prove that the pull is still there without Pep Guardiola as manager.

14:57It's a bit of a statement signing. he wants to go there despite the fact that Pep's left and the club show also that they're back in Maresca and at the same time they prove they can attract top talents when other rival clubs in the Premier League and in Europe are in for a player Well I think they pay pretty good wages at Man City I think that's fair to say They do but I think also you've got to give credit to Hugo Viana here because he's new in post really I mean, okay, he's been kind of working there for 18 months or so, but he has picked up the baton from Ziki Bagiristan, who was a hugely important part of where City are.

15:38Because he was at City before Pep was. Don't forget, he was there laying the foundations for his former Barcelona mate to come and join him, right? That was involved in the training ground, resetting the academy, growing the club from where they were as vaguely kind of like challenging for Europe to being perennial winners, right? So he oversaw all of that. Recruitment was a massive part of it. And he can walk into any boardroom, I'm pretty safe to say, in the world and have that instant respect. Well, for Hugo Viana, who I still remember as a young midfield that never quite cut it in Newcastle, that's a huge thing to try and emulate.

16:09And yet, I think he's shown that he's ambitious and they've backed the manager, Pep, and now Mureska. And I think that also, Laura, to add to your point, is it shows a faith that they've got the right man. They believe in Mureska, don't they? Because they're willing to back him. Is an even bigger challenge, though, going to be getting Rodri to sign an extended deal? Because obviously we know the links with Real Madrid. We know how, obviously he's recovered from that injury. It took a long time, but he's now back in a World Cup final with Spain and looking like the player that we loved watching a few seasons ago.

16:43Is he going to make the big step to Real Madrid? Or is he going to make the big step and sign on with Man City for a longer time? Well, City absolutely want him to stay. They want him to sign a new contract, even though he's 29, even though he's getting towards the period where he's going to get towards the end of his career. I think we've seen for Spain, he is still the same Rodri, right? He was absolutely immense in that semi-final against France, controlled the game superbly. He was so, so good. And he's unfazed by whoever he's up against. He's unfazed by the situation. He's such an integral part of the Manchester City machine, and he has been.

17:20Now, they've really missed him. Two years ago, the conversation was always, when Rodri doesn't play, City don't win. I mean, we must have spoken about that so many times. Now, City have found a way. They've had to find a way. But my goodness, they'd much rather go back to having him in midfield. And can you imagine midfield with him and Elliot Anderson, who would be given a bit more license probably to push on a little bit and be that energy, effectively replace what Bernardo Silva has been over the last season, certainly. I mean, that's a fantastically strong midfield. So City very much want him to stay.

17:48But, of course, Rodri has been quite clear. He's not going to decide his future until after the World Cup. Well, the fact that Spain have got to the final at the time of recording, they're playing to win another trophy. That would mean probably after that, if they win celebrations, holidays, only Rodri and I guess his family will know where his head is at. Yeah, I mean, you can imagine sort of the void of leadership that that could create to an extent. Obviously, there will be players like Haaland there. Mark Gahey's there, quite a leader, but was the captain at Crystal Palace. He's now there.

18:18but with John Stones going or gone, Bernardo Silva gone and potentially Rodri. That's an interesting question. Ben, just looking at some other names who could be going as well, because it looks like it could be quite a big turnover this summer for Man City. If I say to you, Jack Grealish, Trafford, Savino, Marmouche, Rinders, Kovacic, Gonzalez, these are all names that are getting linked and discussed and whether these actually materialise as exits or whether they're just speculation and rumour. there is a lot of uncertainty about what that City squad is going to look like on the first day of the Premier League season.

18:52Yeah, 100%. Now, these are all players, all of them that you've mentioned there, I think are players that should City get an offer for, that matches their valuation, they would allow to leave. Now, part of that is to refresh and regenerate the squad, of course. And some of that will be necessity too. A couple of those on the list, I mean, look, Jack Greenwich is a good example. I mean, I would be incredibly surprised if he's at Manchester City, well, certainly by the end of August. I'd be incredibly surprised if he reintegrates himself back into Enzema Resca's plans. I mean, partly because he's still recovering from injury, so I don't know if he'll even be on the training pitch before a deal can be done.

19:31But look, Everton, we know are still monitoring that. They would ideally like to probably just knock City down a bit in terms of the fee. Seems fair. You'd think they'd come to an agreement if Everton want him or someone else. Savinho, we know Spurs have been interested in. And I guess the World Cup happening has delayed everything in terms of transfers. It doesn't actually affect this potential deal. But you get the feeling that Spurs are probably thinking, look, we'll play a bit of a waiting game. And we'll see whether we can, again, get him down for less than that. I think it was£70 million being quoted around.

20:02And they've spent a huge amount of money already. Exactly. So that's one. And maybe interest will come from elsewhere. But I will also say those players, you know, Savinho is a good example of one that, on day one of pre-season, which, you know, at the time of recording is next Monday, Savino's one of the players that's going to be there. And there aren't many because of the involvement in the World Cup. So he will have an opportunity to impress Senza Maresca. Laura spoke about Maresca liking wingers high and wide. You never know. Maybe Savino, after 18 months of flattering to deceive, maybe we can see a bit of the Savino that we saw at Girona, for example.

20:34Maybe. I mean, but equally, he's someone that I could equally see leaving. And just latest on where we are with potential incomings in addition to Anderson. So, Boadi is one that's been talked about. The Morocco youngster, he's really impressed in midfield at this World Cup. Defensive Cup, I mean, Nunes ended up at right back for most of last season. Surely that's not a long-term solution. I think it might be. I genuinely feel that they're going to, I think they're really happy with how he's developed there. I mean, Nunes will be happy in the sense that he's in the team. Yeah, of course. Which for a while he wasn't.

21:02He was having to play third fiddle, really, in the centre midfield. He has actually grown into a player that's actually quite very competent in that position. it'd be interesting to see how my rescue views it but no City would like another right back if they can get one again the price has to be right but that would be someone to challenge Nunes for the spot rather than to replace him yeah Buwadi absolutely right this is a player that they like, is a player that's on a list of midfield targets, there's no doubt about it whether City can get him I guess remains to be seen and maybe that would be tied to what noises they get out of Rodri's camp but maybe not, maybe he just comes in and you have Rodri, you have Elliot Anderson you have Boadi and then you do see Niko Gonzalez move on and actually because those players, you know, certainly Anderson can be fairly versatile, you could play them as a central three together, more likely you'd play two of those three and rotate them around wouldn't you, but it gives them options and they obviously like the fact he's young he's clearly very talented as we've seen in the World Cup, so yeah, look, they'd like a central midfielder, they'd like a right back, I would imagine they'll probably look for an attacking player and a lot of that will be linked to whether Savini or Marmouche or whoever gets interested and leaves.

22:13Well, you know, all this change that might happen, it sounds like Maresca, Laura, is going to walk in with a pretty talented group of players to work with. This World Cup is obviously going to be a bit of a hindrance with quite a few of them going deep in the competition and, as Ben said, needing some time beside the pool to reset and refresh. Don't we all? We're all feeling a bit like that, aren't we here? It's guys. But what are the obstacles, do you think, then, Laura, for him not making a flying start. And we should say, his first game is that Community Shield, isn't he? So he could get one of those non-trophies, Ben, that you don't really rate in his pocket.

22:46And your first question to him in the post-match press conference, Ben doesn't count that as a fixture. What's that bit of tin pot? It's a game. It's just a charity friendly. So run around in the park, isn't it? It's a charity friendly at a big stadium. That's nice though. It's a nice thing to do. But come on, when you lose the Community Shield, no one goes, oh God, we've lost him. And you know it. No one knows. Well, we'll see. We'll see how Maresco views it. What if he wins it? He'll care. I think, yeah. But then going into those, I think we can say winnable first few Premier League games before them facing Man United.

23:18Yeah. So what are these obstacles? Because we always talk about the time that managers need on the training ground to embed their style. So we've talked also maybe about the similarities of Maresco's style with what these City players are used to as well. So do you feel like they can go off to a flying start? Yeah, I mean, in terms of the World Cup hangover, I don't see there being too much of an issue with World Cup fatigue for Eddie Wambar, Rodri probably. He's the one whose legs will break down if he's pushed too far. And obviously Spain have reached the World Cup final and he's had maximum playing time.