Manchester City have been on a midfield rebuild this summer.
Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez have been left, while Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi have moved to the Etihad.
Anderson’s £116million signing was a club-record fee, but that is set be usurped by Enzo Fernandez’s arrival. According to reports, Man City gave agreed an initial £125m fee with Chelsea for Fernandez — matching the British transfer record.
The move sees Fernandez reunite with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, and it’s easy to see why he targeted his former player.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Why Man City wanted Enzo Fernandez
Fernandez has long been linked with a switch to the Etihad. He’s a player Maresca knows well. He also wasn’t the only Chelsea man to crop up on Man City’s radar in recent months. But, he is the only man to make the move.
And, he’s an important addition to the squad after Rodri’s departure. Replacing Rodri is nigh-on impossible. Bringing in a player who Maresca knows well would certainly help.
The reason for the interest in Fernandez extends beyond a reunion with Maresca. With Rodri gone, Maresca needs a midfield dictator at the base of his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
Fernandez, though, would offer a more progressive alternative in the midfield. The Argentine ranked seventh of central midfielders for forward passes (561) in the Premier League last season. New Man City teammate Anderson topped this metric on 810.
Change in midfield approach?
Anderson should act as more of the tenacious ball-winner alongside Fernandez. The England star ranked top for ball recoveries (306) of outfield players in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. He won possession in the midfield third 154 times, more than any other player.
This work-rate will compliment Fernandez, who ranked fourth for accurate through balls (11). A penetrative threat from deeper would certainly aid a Man City side expected to dictate the play once more this season.
The primary difference compared to Rodri is that Fernandez is more of the risk-taking midfielder. Rodri ranked top for passes per 90 minutes (96.1) in the Premier League last season. Fernandez’s return of 58.8 passes per 90 ranked 29th.
Possession retention largely remains Rodri’s greatest strength. As we saw with Spain at the 2026 World Cup, and have witnessed with Man City in the past, Rodri is a master at suffocating play. Opponents will end up chasing shadows, which in turn tires teams out. That’s when teams strike. Fernandez offers a more vertical range of passing, prioritising getting the ball upfield quickly, at least that’s the case a club level.
Can Fernandez fill Rodri void?
This doesn’t necessarily suit Maresca’s gameplan. The Italian has favoured a more patient approach in the past. It’s why Maresca may hope to see more of the Argentina Fernandez rather than the Chelsea version.
Fernandez was instrumental in Argentina’s progression to the 2026 World Cup final. Yes, the red card in the eventual 1-0 defeat to Spain was silly. But the 25-year-old played a central role in the Argentine midfield.
A 93.5% pass success rate was among the best in North America. His 69.3 passes per 90 was also a solid haul. Yes, it wasn’t quite Rodri levels. It was proof, though, that Fernandez is capable of operating as a tempo-setting midfielder. This contributed to Argentina’s 89.3% pass accuracy, the fifth-best at the World Cup.
A third of Argentina’s attacks came through the middle of the pitch, the joint-most at the tournament. Granted, this was to help get Lionel Messi on the ball as much as possible in dangerous areas. Fernandez was instrumental in this coming to fruition.
Midfield versatility an added bonus
Fernandez’s arrival alognside Bouaddi and Anderson increases Maresca’s midfield options. He’s not just a midfielder who can exclusively operate in the double-pivot of Maresca’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. Indeed, the former Benfica man can play in the No.10 role should the Man City boss seek to bring in a more defensive-minded option. In this case, it would be Bouaddi alongside Anderson with Fernandez pushed forward.
What’s clear, though, is that there will be a change in midfield approach at the Etihad. Without Rodri, Maresca needs to find solutions in a key area. It’s a real step into the unknown for the club following Pep Guardiola’s 10-year dynasty.
Change can be good, however, and Man City need to embrace life under Maresca. Fernandez will certainly aid the transition.