Manchester City has dropped over €1 billion on new players in the last 18 months, an insane cash injection that means one thing for new head coach Enzo Maresca: absolutely no excuses in his first season. Following a legend like Pep Guardiola is brutal, just ask Unai Emery after Arsene Wenger or David Moyes after Sir Alex Ferguson, but Maresca has been handed a war chest that should make his job a whole lot easier.
City’s Roster Looks Wildly Different, But Haaland Is Still Haaland
Remember the 2022/23 treble-winning squad? Well, Maresca was on the backroom staff then, but you’d barely recognize the team now. Only Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland remain from that legendary group. The player turnover is staggering. Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Rodri, Nathan Ake, and Jack Grealish, all starters in that 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan, bounced during this transfer window. And it wasn’t just them, Istanbul starters Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, and Manuel Akanji all left the year before. That’s why City has poured over $1 billion into new talent since January 2025, bringing in $431.6 million this summer alone. On one hand, it’s a contradiction of familiarity and change. On the other, seeing Haaland smirk as he plunders goals in late summer is a comfort. But don’t let that fool you, this ain’t the same City.
No Excuses For a Reason, Despite the Early Hiccups
The pressure on Maresca is immense, and not just because of the spending. The squad’s massive overhaul comes while the Premier League’s “115 charges” case against City drags on interminably, a fact that’s sparked plenty of frustration from opposition fans. Guardiola’s penultimate season ended in a collapse due to injuries and a crisis of confidence, a struggle captured in the Amazon doc “A Beautiful Obsession.” The summer windows in 2024 and 2025 missed the mark, with outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain and his successor Hugo Viana having more misses than hits. City has only won one Champions League knockout tie since that 2023 final. An early 3-0 loss to Arsenal in the Community Shield had some folks already drawing those Emery and Moyes comparisons, but let’s be real, that was a glorified friendly. Based on the first two weekends, a perilously small sample size for sure, City looks like the team most likely to dethrone Mikel Arteta’s squad.
The stage is set. With a billion-dollar roster and the early season showing some real flashes against Crystal Palace, Maresca has all the tools. Now, it’s about seeing if this massively rebuilt squad can deliver on the immense investment and high expectations. The league is watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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