Enzo Maresca said the sooner Manchester City can make signings the better for them after a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield. The Blues were brushed aside by the Premier League champions in Maresca's first outing on British soil as City boss after conceding in the first minute.
Missing players and transfer plans
With Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri all absent from the squad amid expected departures, City have work to do to replace the players they are set to lose on top of more additions they are looking to make. Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi is one player that City are in negotiations to sign but Sunday's defeat to Arsenal highlighted more that is missing from Maresca's squad.
City's coach insisted after the game that the club's transfer plans are 'clear' and unchanged by the Arsenal result. However, there is also much work to do in the final two weeks of the window for the Blues to give Maresca the backing that they want to do as he follows Pep Guardiola.
Maresca's message on new arrivals
"Any new signing, the sooner they arrive the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week and if they start to work with us as soon as possible it's better that they can also understand the way we want to play," said Maresca.
"We knew already before the game of the things that we need to do. It's not because we lost the game or even if we had won the game to think differently. We are quite clear in what we need to do and for sure we are going to do something before the window closes."
