Manchester City are being linked with a major summer approach for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández, with Enzo Maresca said to be open to the idea of a reunion.

The speculation around Fernández had eased after a blunt statement, particularly with the 25-year-old due to rejoin Chelsea on Wednesday after the 2026 World Cup. Even so, the possibility of a move to the Etihad Stadium has returned after City reportedly made contact with his camp, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea’s position remains clear. They are said to be demanding £120 million ($162 million) and are not expected to lower that figure. City, meanwhile, are understood to be hoping to negotiate, but the gap between the two sides is substantial.

Any move would also sit alongside City’s wider midfield planning, with the club preparing for a future without Rodri. The newly crowned Golden Ball and World Cup winner is reportedly set to join Barcelona this summer, leaving Manchester with one year left on his current deal. City rejected Barcelona’s opening bid of $52 million (£38.5 million), although discussions are still ongoing.

The club are also expected to sign World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi, though reports indicate the teenager is not being lined up to replace Rodri directly.

Fernández may now be viewed as the player best placed to fill that role. He has already established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders and produced his strongest form under Maresca.

A return to working with the Italian coach, this time in sky blue, could also appeal after Fernández’s public falling out with the Chelsea hierarchy. That tension followed a two-game suspension over comments about a possible transfer last season.

City’s midfield is already well stocked after the summer arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for $153.9 million (£116 million), while Nico González, Tijjani Reijnders and Mateo Kovačić are also in the squad.

Manchester City have reportedly opened talks with the camp of Chelsea winger Pedro Neto about a possible return to working with Enzo Maresca.

According to Fabrizio Romano, City are already in “direct contact” with the player’s representatives as they explore a summer move to the Etihad Stadium. The situation is not straightforward, though, and several factors could shape whether any deal progresses.

One key issue is Savinho. Romano has also named Tottenham Hotspur as admirers of Neto, and any departure for the City winger could sharpen Maresca’s interest in strengthening his wide areas. Chelsea’s asking price will also matter, with the London club not actively seeking a sale and likely expecting a strong offer after signing Neto only two summers ago.

Chelsea’s squad depth means the winger is not indispensable in west London. The club has added heavily to its attacking ranks, even after the recent departures of Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa and Tyrique George to Everton. Morgan Rogers has arrived for a record-breaking fee, while Geovany Quenda has also joined from Sporting CP. That group sits alongside Estêvão, Jamie Gittens, Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk, who recently returned after his doping ban was lifted.

Even so, Neto’s value is clear. Only Enzo Fernández created more chances than his 53 last season in the Premier League, and no Chelsea player bettered his 12 big chances created. His pace also gives him a directness that can trouble deep defensive blocks.

Xabi Alonso will want a closer look before any final decision is made, especially as Neto made a late return to preseason after his World Cup involvement with Portugal and is yet to play under Chelsea’s new manager.

City, too, have options on the flanks. Jérémy Doku delivered the best season of his City career in 2025-26, Antoine Semenyo made an immediate impact after arriving mid-season, and Omar Marmoush, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden have all been used wide in recent campaigns. Jeremy Monga, still only 17, offers further cover. Even so, if Savinho were to depart, Maresca would be left with fewer natural wingers than he would ideally want.

Phil Foden has described the early changes brought in under Enzo Maresca, stressing that the new set-up remains close to what Manchester City knew before, even if there are clear adjustments in place.

Speaking before City’s second preseason friendly, Foden said: “It’s very similar to how we played under Pep, but there are still things that are a bit different,” Foden said prior to City’s second preseason friendly. “I don’t want give too much away of how we play. Maybe the defending’s a bit different the way we set up.

“We have different ideas about how to play out from the back. A different variety of things on the ball. Different things, but we are very comfortable because we want to build from the back and try to create, so I think it suits everyone really well.

“I’ve found it good, to be honest. All I have known is Pep Guardiola so to go to a new manager is a fresh start. I am enjoying it. I am enjoying the new coaching staff and I like the ideas and way we are playing. I am excited for the new season and hopefully we can have a really good year.”

City head into 2026-27 with the clear aim of reclaiming the Premier League title in Maresca’s first season in charge. The club have won the league six times in the past seven seasons, but have finished without the trophy in each of the last two.

For Foden, the challenge is twofold. He wants to return to the level that made him the Premier League’s best player when City last won the title in 2023-24, while also becoming a more senior voice in the dressing room.

“I think I have to be really [a leader],” Foden revealed. “Obviously I have been in the club for so long, I am one of the last remaining players to have been here for a long time. So I think have to be this season, one of the leaders, one of the captains or in and around it for sure. I am looking forward to that new responsibility and trying to take leadership [on].

“What [Maresca] wants from me at the moment is to be an example to the young lads on tour,” Foden added. “To try to train well, keep my head down and work hard and set a good example to the young lads. That’s what I have been trying to do, really.”

The squad has already lost some senior figures this summer. Bernardo Silva and John Stones departed, while Rodri could also move on as interest from Barcelona and particularly Real Madrid grows.

Foden, who captained City in their preseason opener against Inter Milan, is now 26 and far beyond the stage of being treated as a young prospect. After the inconsistency of the last two years, he knows 2026-27 must be a productive season rather than another missed opportunity.

His output has dropped from the level he hit during City’s dominant run, including the club’s first Champions League title in 2022-23. More recently, his role has been reduced, and although he made a strong start to 2025-26, he started only three of 14 Premier League matches from February until City were overtaken by Arsenal in the title race.

Across the last two seasons, he has scored 23 goals in all competitions and recorded 14 assists, numbers that underline how far he has to go to match his peak form again.