Man City summer transfers: Enzo Maresca, Hugo Viana's biggest priorities for 2026 window

The glorious, trophy-laden Pep Guardiola era at Manchester City came to an emotional end last month, concluding the 2025-26 season with an EFL Cup and FA Cup double.

Filling the boots of the Catalan mastermind is a monumental task, but Enzo Maresca - Guardiola’s former assistant at the Etihad Stadium - is set to take the reins on an initial three-year deal.

Man City are one of the richest clubs in world football who have long balanced elite statement signings with a world-class scouting system designed to unearth hidden gems that developed into first-team stars.

Director of Football Hugo Viana has already overseen a radical first-team refresh since initiating his transition 18 months ago. He is expected to be busy once again in the next few months as the Citizens endeavour to construct a squad capable of snatching the Premier League title back from champions Arsenal.

Here, Sports Mole assesses Man City’s biggest priorities in the 2026 summer transfer window.

Man City transfer priority 1: Sign Elliot Anderson

It is one of the worst-kept secrets in the summer transfer window that Man City have made Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson their primary midfield target.

Following the high-profile departure of Bernardo Silva, the Citizens are in the market for a dynamic and technically-gifted midfield engine. Anderson certainly fits the profile, ranking first for touches (3,300), possession won (306), fouls won (80), duels won (297), line-breaking passes (376) and successful passes (2,038) among midfielders in the 2025-26 Premier League season.

However, prising Anderson away from the City Ground is proving to be a prohibitively costly ordeal. Forest have already rejected two substantial offers from Man City, including a club-record proposal worth an initial £106m plus £15m in performance-related add-ons, but the Tricky Trees are reportedly holding out for a total package closer to £130m.

There have been suggestions that Man City could be prepared to walk away from a big-money deal, as chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak feels that their latest proposal was fair for a player lacking Champions League experience.

Because the bulk of Viana’s major squad rebuilding has already been completed, City do not need to spread their budget across multiple positions. If Etihad chiefs truly believe Anderson is the right midfielder, they may have no choice but to stump up the record-breaking fee that Forest demand.

Man City transfer priority 2: Upgrade Savinho

Man City astutely acquired the services of Antoine Semenyo during the January transfer window and he regularly operated on the right flank as Jeremy Doku delivered equally consistent performances on the left during the second half of last season.

Savinho, meanwhile, has failed to reach the heights expected at Man City, and while there is no denying his electric pace and direct dribbling ability on both wings, the 22-year-old has frustrated Citizens supporters with a distinct lack of end product, scoring just seven goals in 84 appearances.

Despite that, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly advancing in talks to sign Savinho in a deal potentially worth in excess of £60m – a fee the Citizens should seriously consider and ultimately accept before upgrading on the Brazilian this summer.

Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has somewhat surprisingly emerged as a potential target for Man City, though rivals Manchester United are said to hold a strong interest in the 26-year-old Senegal international.

RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande has also been linked with Man City and several other elite clubs, while Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has previously been of interest to the Citizens, though he is currently sidelined with a long-term knee injury.

Man City transfer priority 3: Keep hold of star players in post-Guardiola era

Following the departure of Guardiola, the worst-case scenario for Man City would be to see several star names wanting to seek pastures new, no longer believing the club can remain successful under a different coach.

One positive piece of news that has emerged recently is that key defender Josko Gvardiol is reportedly set to sign a new long-term contract extension at the club.

However, uncertainty remains over the future of Real Madrid-linked midfielder Rodri, who will soon be entering the final 12 months of his contract and has confirmed that he will make a decision on his club future after the 2026 World Cup.

Man City would ideally like to extend Rodri’s contract, as they still believe he has a lot to offer as an important first-team figure, and scouring the market for a replacement that matches his unique profile could prove challenging.

Ruben Dias is another who has been linked with a possible exit in recent weeks, but Man City may find a way to persuade the 29-year-old centre-back to stay for a little while longer if they provide a greater leadership role and assurances of regular game time.

Conversely, it is difficult to envisage goal machine Erling Haaland departing any time soon despite long-standing interest from Real Madrid. In January 2025, Haaland signed a staggering nine-and-a-half-year Man City contract, making him the club’s highest-paid player and keeping him tied to the Etihad until the summer of 2034.

Elsewhere, it is understood that Man City are keen to wrap up negotiations over new contracts for Phil Foden and Doku; the former is said to have already agreed a new four-year deal, while the latter is expected to be rewarded with a pay rise after an impressive 2025-26 season.