Enzo Fernandez has barely arrived at Manchester City, but manager Enzo Maresca says several players in the squad were already eager to see him join.

The Argentina midfielder completed a £125 million move from Chelsea to Manchester City on deadline day, setting up a reunion with Maresca, who previously coached him at Stamford Bridge.

Maresca revealed that the excitement inside City's dressing room began before the transfer was completed. He said four or five players repeatedly asked during the final days of the transfer window whether Fernandez was coming.

“I can promise you that in the last four or five days four or five players from the squad were asking if he is coming or not because they want him to be with us,” Maresca said.

The manager believes Fernandez's winning mentality will add to an already ambitious City squad. He pointed to the midfielder's experience of winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and the 2025 Club World Cup with Chelsea.

Fernandez, 25, is available for City's Premier League meeting with newly promoted Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, although Maresca has not guaranteed that he will start the match.

The move also closes Fernandez's Chelsea chapter after he reportedly wanted to leave Stamford Bridge. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged the departure while praising the midfielder's contribution to the club.

Fernandez himself said in a Manchester City interview that he had “always dreamed of being at a club as big as City.” Some reports interpreted the comment as a pointed reference to Chelsea, although Fernandez did not explicitly criticise his former club.

City have spent heavily during the transfer window, with the club's reported spending reaching about £458 million. Fernandez was part of a major midfield rebuild that also brought in Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

For City supporters, the next question is simple: how quickly can Fernandez make his mark in the new-look team?