“Maresca prepared for aggressive challenge against Bournemouth.”

The manager of Manchester City, Enzo Maresca, addressed transfer speculation and the preparation for the upcoming match against Bournemouth, scheduled for this Sunday. The game marks the start of the Premier League season for the team, which will be without legendary manager Pep Guardiola and World Cup winner Rodri, creating an atmosphere of anticipation among fans.

Maresca, who will lead his first match at the Etihad Stadium, comes off a heavy defeat against Arsenal in the Super Cup, which does not reassure fans who are hoping for a recovery from the team after a season in which they missed out on the title. Preparing for the game against the Cherries is a priority, and the coach shared some details about his team's approach. “I watched the game, I watched the preseason game. I also watched some matches from last season when he was at another club. The identity is evident. A very aggressive team. They were already aggressive with Andoni (Iraola), and they continue to be. What they do with and without the ball is quite clear,” Maresca stated.

Regarding Jeremy Doku, who left the last match injured, the manager revealed that “in the last game, at halftime, he was complaining of a bit of pain in his calf. We didn’t want him to play more than 45 minutes, so the substitution was planned. At this moment, it seems like it will take about two to three weeks, no more than that.”

Before the starting whistle, Manchester City has been involved in transfer rumors, particularly regarding Savinho and Omar Marmoush, who are close to joining Tottenham. Maresca confirmed that “it is quite clear when players want to leave, for whatever reason, it becomes complicated to convince them to stay or change their minds.” Regarding Savinho, the coach revealed that “since day one he has asked me to leave. So now we are waiting.” However, about Omar, Maresca stated that “Omar has not asked to leave since day one,” and when asked if he had done so this week, he replied “not yet.”

Lastly, Maresca also addressed the rumors linking Chelsea's Enzo Fernández to Manchester City as a potential replacement for Rodri. “Enzo (Fernández) is a Chelsea player, and I’m not going to talk about players who are not with us. First of all, because I think it is disrespectful, and secondly because I don’t like other coaches talking about our players…”

With the pressure mounting and the season beginning, Maresca will have to deal with departures and the construction of a new identity for the team while trying to ensure a victorious start to the league.