Manchester City have spent a Premier League record £458m rebuilding their squad this summer, with the midfield completely overhauled under new manager Enzo Maresca after Pep Guardiola's departure. The spending, backed by director of football Hugo Viana, has raised questions about how the new arrivals will fit together tactically and whether the club has left itself short of cover for star striker Erling Haaland.

The overhaul saw City break their transfer record twice, paying a joint-British record £125m for Enzo Fernandez and £116m for Elliot Anderson, plus £86m for 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, as captain Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez departed. Including earlier signings such as Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, City's total outlay since January reaches £542m, offset by £334m recouped from sales including Savinho (£75m) and Rodri (£65m), leaving a net spend of £208m for the year. Maresca, who has switched between box and diamond midfield shapes, now faces selection dilemmas as Fernandez, Bouaddi and Anderson can all play multiple positions, while Nico O'Reilly is expected to fill the Gonzalez gap in midfield.