After enduring a grueling Premier League season, footballers are now either fulfilling international duties or enjoying a well-deserved break during the off-season.
Despite the players’ absence, Manchester City remains busy with preparations for the upcoming season.
This includes identifying potential transfer targets and assessing the team to determine the players’ long-term roles.
Several Manchester City players will be representing their countries as they finalize arrangements for Euro 2024, which will be hosted in Germany starting on July 15.
In the midst of this, there has been notable activity on the coaching front.
Enzo Maresca, a former Manchester City assistant manager, has completed a transfer to Chelsea as their new head coach.
Maresca, who left City just a year ago, had been the manager of Leicester City.
In his debut season with Leicester, he led the team to win the Championship and secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
Maresca had previously served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during Manchester City’s treble-winning season.
Maresca has now signed a five-year contract with Chelsea, which includes an option for an additional year.
This move has been considered one of the more surprising transfers of the summer.
Chelsea was reportedly drawn to Maresca’s possession-based approach, which is similar to Guardiola’s style.
Given Chelsea’s history of frequently changing managers, it will be interesting to see how Maresca performs at Stamford Bridge.
There is ongoing debate about whether it would have been better for Maresca to gain more experience with Leicester before making such a significant career move.
During his time at Leicester, Maresca leveraged his connections at Manchester City to secure the loan of defender Callum Doyle.
However, now that he is at Chelsea, City may be less willing to support him in similar deals.
On another front, Deniz Undav, a striker for Brighton & Hove Albion, has expressed his ambition to play for Manchester City before he retires.
Undav, who struggled to secure a spot in Brighton’s starting lineup during his first Premier League season, spent the last season on loan at Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
There, he made a significant impact, scoring 18 goals and providing 10 assists in 30 league appearances.
Speaking about his future, Undav mentioned Manchester City as a club he aspires to join. “Few players, in my opinion, would turn down a Bayern offer.
At some time, everyone aspires to play for the major teams: Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City,” he told Bild. “I give everything I have every day to reach that last great step I hope to take one day.”
Despite his impressive goal-scoring record in the Bundesliga, Undav’s previous struggles in the Premier League mean he will need to return to Brighton and consistently score goals if he hopes to capture the attention of Pep Guardiola in the coming years.
At 27 years old, Undav is at a critical juncture in his career, and the 2024–2025 season will be pivotal in his pursuit of that “dream” move to a major club like Manchester City.
Time is not on his side, and he must seize the opportunity to make a compelling case for himself.
As the football world gears up for another exciting season, the off-season remains a period of strategic planning and significant moves, both on the field and behind the scenes.
Manchester City, along with other clubs, will be closely monitoring developments, making crucial decisions to strengthen their squads and prepare for the challenges ahead.