Enzo Maresca has indicated that Manchester City will not buy Enzo Fernandez before the deadline Chelsea set – but said he wants to carry on spending this summer.
The Italian’s former club said they wanted the Argentina midfielder’s future to be settled by 5pm on Friday as they told potential buyers to pay their £120m asking price this week.
But while Maresca wants to add players to his squad, he indicated that City will be forced to act by Chelsea’s deadline.
“I don’t think we are going to do something today,” he said.
Rodri has returned to Manchester after the World Cup, though Barcelona have had two bids rejected for the World Cup winner.
City felt an initial £38.4m offer was not serious and while Barcelona raised it to £51m and remain interested, Maresca deflected questions if the midfielder will stay.
“I just saw Rodri, I gave him a big hug,” he said.
City are considering Fernandez and Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi as midfield reinforcements while they are set to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah for £51m.
They have already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for a club record £116m but their only other arrivals so far are back-up goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and teenage winger Jeremy Monga.
And new manager Maresca wants further additions. “When the window is open, we can buy players and we can sell players,” he said. “For sure there are things that we need to do, can be one can be two [new signings], it depends if they want to leave.”
Maresca’s reign begins with the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday and the Italian is keen to start with silverware. “For me personally it is a trophy and when a trophy is there in a final is there you are always trying to win so it is no friendly game at all,” he added.