Enzo Maresca will want to create a Manchester City team in his own image, but one target might be his very own version of Fernandinho.
The Italian was recently confirmed as the club’s new manager, after a few weeks of talks to sort out compensation with Chelsea.
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He will now be assessing his squad, and working out with the recruitment team which positions need strengthening.
Even though Elliot Anderson has already signed, it’s thought Manchester City could make more midfield additions.
Both Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic have been linked with exits, and it would be fanciful to think City officials aren’t scouring the market for possible replacements.
And in Noah Sadiki, City might just be able to boast a 2026 version of Fernandinho.
How Noah Sadiki could be Man City’s next Fernandinho
Sadiki signed for Sunderland last summer, and enjoyed an absolutely superb first season at the Stadium of Light.
The star made 35 appearances for the club, playing a vital role in the Black Cats’ seventh-placed finish which got them into this coming season’s Europa League.
Sadiki has been hailed by fans for his relentless energy in Sunderland’s midfield, and it has been clear that his defensive work is his bread and butter.
As per Squawka data, he won 123 duels in 2025/26, and had a win percentage in those duels of over 50%. To be winning more than half your duels is good going.
He also made a combined 88 interceptions, blocks and clearances.
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The thing that underpins everything Sadiki does though, is his dynamism – and that is what could make him City’s new Fernandinho if the club brought him in.
The Brazilian was famous for going about his defensive work in an intense and dynamic way.
He never gave his opponents a moment’s peace, and was so intelligent with his positioning at the base of City’s midfield.
He could also use the ball really well and was tidy. Sadiki also has this trait, evidenced by a pass accuracy on 85% in the Premier League in 2025/26.
Fernandinho could also surge forward carrying the ball if there was space and this is again something Sadiki has shown at Sunderland.
The Scouting App said in a feature at the start of this year that Sadiki ‘understands positioning, helps maintain structure, and supports both defensive and offensive transitions’, which was Fernandinho in a nutshell.
They also branded Sadiki ‘outstanding’ physically which again was very true of Fernandinho despite him never being the tallest or particularly muscular.
TEAMtalk have reported City’s interest, but say that Sunderland are ready to block attempts by other clubs to sign the star this summer, which is very understandable.
He’s already one of their best players, and they obviously want him to continue in their midfield alongside another important player, Granit Xhaka.
Xhaka looks to have rejected Chelsea, but it would be interesting to see what Sadiki’s response would be if City came calling.
