Maresca Feels 'Very Lucky' as £440m Midfield Rebuild Takes Shape Before Old Trafford Derby

Enzo Maresca has admitted he feels "very lucky" with the midfield options at his disposal, as Manchester City prepare for their first derby of the season at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The City manager, taking charge of his first Manchester derby from the dugout, has overseen a significant rebuild of the squad since his arrival. With Hugo Viana, the sporting director who succeeded Txiki Begiristain in July last year, Maresca has reshaped the midfield at a cost of just over £440 million.

That outlay has brought Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi to the Etihad. Fernandez arrived from Chelsea for £125 million on deadline day, while Anderson joined in July for £116 million from Nottingham Forest. The former Forest man described City as the "Kings of Manchester" upon his arrival, having seen Manchester United pull out of the move amidst financial restraints.

Maresca said: "I feel very lucky because these three players arrived, the three midfielders, Enzo, Elliot and Ayyoub."

Anderson has settled quickly, featuring in all three of City's Premier League victories under the new manager. His impact has been immediate, and the derby at Old Trafford will provide another test of his credentials.

City go into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over FC Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday. That result extended their strong start to the campaign, though the visit to face Michael Carrick's side represents a different challenge entirely.

For Maresca, it is a first taste of the Manchester derby as the man in charge. He was part of Pep Guardiola's staff during the 2022/23 Treble-winning season, when City became the first English side since United in 1999 to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Only a handful of players from that squad remain, a measure of the transformation that has taken place in recent years.

Now the responsibility falls on Maresca to navigate a fixture that carries weight beyond the league table. A trip to Old Trafford always does, but for a new manager with a rebuilt midfield, the stakes feel particularly high.