Enzo Maresca makes first visit to Manchester City training ground | OneFootball

Manchester City’s training centre has welcomed its new first-team manager Enzo Maresca for the very first time this week, according to new reports.

Following weeks of legal and administrative negotiations, sporting director Hugo Viana finalised an eight-figure compensation package with Chelsea earlier this month to secure Maresca as the definitive successor to Pep Guardiola.

While a significant portion of the first-team roster remains involved stateside at the ongoing World Cup, the 46-year-old manager has arrived in Manchester to lay down his structural foundations.

The challenges awaiting Maresca are significant given the legacy of his predecessor, but the club’s board has moved with immense financial muscle to provide him with a statement welcoming present.

Manchester City wrapped up a club-record £116 million agreement for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson this week, with the Englishman expected to undergo a medical in Kansas City on Sunday within England’s World Cup camp.

Enzo Maresca visits Man City for the first time

Now, according to The Mirror’s Jeremy Cross, Enzo Maresca has started work as Manchester City manager despite the absence of an announcement, with the Italian having spent time at the City Football Academy training ground this week getting used to his new surroundings.

It is revealed that Maresca has been ‘studying data belonging to each member of his squad’ in order to devise pre-season training sessions for when the Manchester City first-team returns from summer holidays and World Cup action.

Furthermore, it is claimed that the successor to Pep Guardiola will also meet senior Manchester City figures next week in order to discuss what the expectations of him will be ahead of his tenure as Etihad Stadium boss.

Maresca’s first few weeks as Man City manager

This detailed planning is essential as Manchester City are set to take a long-haul flight to Hong Kong and South Korea for their pre-season exhibition matches later this summer, which kick off against Inter Milan on August 1.

A formal sit-down between Maresca, Hugo Viana, Ferran Soriano, and potentially Khaldoon Al Mubarak may establish the club’s minimum performance targets for the 2026/27 campaign, alongside finalising the remaining summer transfer movements.

The hierarchy is currently balancing a number of moving components, including an interest in Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto to push Matheus Nunes, and tracking Lille’s Moroccan midfield sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi.

While an official public unveiling is expected within the coming days, Enzo Maresca’s early work proves he is fully prepared to handle the immense pressure of replacing Pep Guardiola when the Premier League season kicks off against Bournemouth on August 23.