According to Diario Sport, Manchester City have been closely monitoring Frenkie de Jong's situation. Enzo Maresca greatly admires de Jong, and City explored the possibility of signing him both before and during the World Cup. The Italian coach believes de Jong would be ideally suited to lead a deep rebuild in the team's midfield.
However, De Jong's injury changed the game. Manchester City decided to accelerate other deals, ultimately investing a huge sum of money. The first to join was Elliott Anderson from Nottingham Forest, for a transfer fee of approximately £116 million, setting a new Manchester City record.
Manchester City have also reached an agreement with Lille for Ayoub Bouadi. The 18-year-old Moroccan midfielder, one of the standout young stars of the recent World Cup, will be transferred for approximately €95 million, with an additional €5 million in add-ons. With several key midfielders leaving this summer, Manchester City have intensified their efforts to acquire midfielders.
Maresca still wants to sign another midfielder.
The signings of Anderson and Buadi do not mean Manchester City's rebuilding is complete. Maresca still hopes to bring in another midfielder before the transfer window closes, as the team has lost a key player in that position. Enzo Fernandes and Adam Walton are among those on the shortlist.
However, Manchester City's transfer focus seems to have completely shifted away from De Jong. The Dutchman wants to stay at Barcelona, and the club considers him part of their plans; meanwhile, Manchester City has already invested over £200 million in Anderson and Bouadi alone, preparing to build a new midfield.
Frenkie de Jong was a player Maresca seriously considered, but his injury forced Manchester City to turn to other targets and quickly move forward with alternatives. With the transfer window nearing its close, all signs point to Franck continuing to wear the Barcelona jersey, and Manchester City ending this transfer route that they had seriously evaluated this summer.
