By Adegboyega Adeleye
Several Manchester City players were eager for Enzo Fernandez to join the club and asked about the transfer during the final days of the window, manager Enzo Maresca has revealed.
Fernandez completed a joint-British record £125 million move from Chelsea to City on deadline day, reuniting with Maresca, who previously coached him at Stamford Bridge.
According to the BBC, Maresca said the Argentina international is ready to make his City debut against newly promoted Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
“I know Enzo quite well and I know what he can bring to the team,” Maresca said.
“He is a winner – a winner’s mentality and knows how to win [after] the World Cup, Club World Cup.”
Maresca, who made Fernandez captain during their time at Chelsea, said City’s players were particularly excited about the midfielder’s arrival.
“I just said he is a winner and when you belong to a squad and another winning player arrives, they are always happy,” he said.
“I can promise you that in the last four or five days four or five players from the squad were asking if he is coming or not because they want him to be with us.
“It’s very important that he is with us and we are 100% happy with that.”
Fernandez, 25, said in an in-house interview on Thursday that he had always “dreamed of being at a club as big as City”, comments which were interpreted as a slight towards Chelsea.
The midfielder had wanted to leave Stamford Bridge since the beginning of the year, with talks with Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso unable to change his decision.
Alonso acknowledged Fernandez’s departure while praising his contribution to Chelsea.
“In football many things happen. With Enzo we have had conversations and always with respect. What he has done for the club has been great, but now it’s time to move forward,” Alonso said.
“We have players with quality in every position and now we are ready to go.”
City spent a club-record £458 million during the transfer window, including £327 million on midfield reinforcements Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The club also signed wingers Iliman Ndiaye and Allan, as well as goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, while recouping more than £300 million through player sales.
Maresca praised City’s ownership and hierarchy for completing their transfer business.
“I am very happy for the effort from the ownership, [chairman] Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] and [director of football] Hugo [Viana]. Very happy,” he said.
“In the last days, Iliman and Enzo arrived, and now the squad is complete – it’s finished. Now it is time to work.”
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