Maresca's Manchester City Rebuild: Gusto and Anderson Targets

Enzo Maresca has not even been unveiled at the Etihad yet, but the outline of his Manchester City rebuild is already starting to show – and it has a distinctly Chelsea flavour.

According to reports, the incoming City head coach is pushing hard for a move for Malo Gusto, the French right-back he worked with at Stamford Bridge, as he looks to stamp his authority on a squad shaped for years by Pep Guardiola.

Maresca moves quickly in Guardiola’s shadow

City have agreed compensation with Chelsea and are expected to confirm Maresca as Guardiola’s successor, handing the 46-year-old one of the most demanding jobs in European football. Following a legend is never simple; just ask Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsenal in the post-Arsene Wenger years, when David Moyes and Unai Emery felt the full weight of history.

Maresca appears determined not to drift into that same trap. He wants his players, his profiles, his dressing room. Chelsea alumni sit high on that list.

Cole Palmer, the breakout star of last season, and Enzo Fernandez have both been linked as potential targets for their former boss. Yet Chelsea have drawn a clear line in the sand over Palmer, viewing him as “untouchable”, while Real Madrid are currently leading the chase for Fernandez, who is open to a move.

So Maresca has turned his gaze to another familiar face.

Gusto emerges as the realistic Chelsea raid

Malo Gusto is the Chelsea player most likely to follow Maresca north, with talkSPORT reporting that the Italian has identified the 23-year-old as a key defensive target.

City had been in the hunt for Inter Milan defender Marco Palestra, only to see Chelsea agree a £51m deal for the Italian. That blow has forced City’s recruitment team to adjust, and Gusto now sits firmly on their radar.

Chelsea, preparing to welcome Palestra to west London, are understood to want at least £40m to even consider parting with Gusto. The Frenchman joined from Lyon in 2023 for £31m and has since become a fixture in the side, clocking up 134 appearances across three seasons.

That level of involvement underlines why Chelsea will not sell cheaply. This is not a fringe player being eased out; it is a first-team regular whose departure would leave a hole to fill.

World Cup shop window

Gusto’s profile is only rising. He is currently with France at the World Cup, part of a squad widely tipped to go deep in the tournament. He came off the bench in their 3-0 win over Iraq on Monday, another small but visible reminder of his pedigree on the biggest stage.

For City, that kind of experience at 23 is attractive. For Chelsea, it strengthens their negotiating hand.

City’s summer priorities

Right-back is not the only area on City’s agenda. A new midfielder sits at the top of the list, with England World Cup standout Elliot Anderson identified as their primary target.

City are weighing up a third offer for the Nottingham Forest man after seeing a second bid, worth £120m, knocked back. That figure alone shows how aggressively they intend to support Maresca in this first window.

The Italian arrives after a brief but eventful spell at Chelsea, which ended in January, less than six months after he had lifted the Club World Cup in his debut season. Now he inherits a City team that, under Guardiola, became the dominant force in English football and closed last season with a domestic cup double.

Yet even Guardiola’s final campaign came with a sting. City missed out on the Premier League title, finishing seven points behind new champions Arsenal. The standard remains brutal. The margin for error, tiny.

Maresca wants Gusto, wants Anderson, wants control of the next phase. The question now is simple: how much of that vision will City – and Chelsea – allow him to realise?