- Further midfield arrivals at Man City beyond Elliot Anderson will depend on outgoings
- Mateo Kovacic & Omar Marmoush said to be considering their future at the Etihad Stadium
- Man City are open to listening to offers for Nico Gonzalez as Hugo Viana’s squad rebuild continues
Manchester City’s ability to add further midfield reinforcements beyondElliot Anderson will depend on the volume of outgoings the club can generate this summer, as per a new report.
City have agreed a club record deal to sign £116 million Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, with director of football Hugo Viana working closely alongside new manager Enzo Maresca to identify further additions capable of strengthening the squad ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
However, the scale of City’s remaining business this summer appears closely tied to their capacity to move players on, with the club’s recruitment strategy understood to favour a balanced approach to incomings and outgoings rather than significant outright expenditure across every position.
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Report: Kovacic and Marmoush weighing up futures as City open to Nico Gonzalez offers
According to Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, further midfield movements at City on top of Anderson for players capable of genuinely impacting the team are likely to be dependent on outgoings, with Mateo Kovacic and Omar Marmoush said to be considering their options away from the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Kovacic has been a fixture in City’s midfield since arriving from Chelsea in 2023, while Marmoush joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025, and the willingness of both players to assess their futures elsewhere suggests City could be open to facilitating departures that would, in turn, create the financial flexibility for further incomings.
Gaughan also reports that City are open to listening to offers for Nico Gonzalez, with the midfielder’s situation adding a third name to the list of players whose futures at the Etihad Stadium appear less than certain heading into the new campaign under Maresca.
What do potential outgoings mean for Manchester City’s summer rebuild?
The willingness to entertain departures across multiple midfield options reflects the scale of the rebuild Viana is overseeing, with the arrival of Anderson having already reshaped the balance of the squad and Maresca’s own preference for a refreshed group adding further impetus to the process of moving players on.
Any sale involving Kovacic, Marmoush or Nico Gonzalez would free up both space within the squad and resources that could be reinvested into further targets, with City linked with as many as five new signings across multiple positions this summer – including further reinforcements in midfield, defence and attack.
Whether any of the three players depart before the window closes remains to be seen, but the message from within the Etihad Stadium appears clear – Maresca’s vision for the squad will be shaped as much by who leaves this summer as by who arrives.
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