Enzo Maresca has revealed he ignores the record-breaking prices he paid for players as he believes the transfer market is “crazy”.
The Manchester City manager equalled the British record when spending £125m on Enzo Fernandez this summer, having already paid £116m for Elliot Anderson, but said he will not judge them on their transfer fees.
Maresca committed £301m to new midfielders, including Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, and more than £400m to new signings during his first transfer window in charge.
But he admitted the fees are not his concern, saying: “I don’t pay much attention to the price because I don’t pay the money. It’s more about good players.”
Manchester United, who host City on Sunday, also bought three midfielders this summer, but for a cheaper price of an initial £148m.
And Maresca added: “The ones who arrived here and joined United are all top players. That’s the most important thing. How much the club paid for them? I don’t think it’s correct to judge players on how much we pay because the market is crazy.”
Maresca praised City for the way they have replaced the departed duo of Rodri and Bernardo Silva with Fernandez, Anderson and Bouaddi.
And he pointed to the successful way that City have been able to replace their great players in the recent past.
He said: “I feel very lucky because these three players arrived, the three midfielders, Enzo, Eliot and Ayyoub. And I also said that this club, when [Sergio] Aguero left, everyone was worried, Erling [Haaland] arrived, Fernandinho [left], Rodri arrived, David Silva [left], [Kevin] De Bruyne arrived.
“So one of the big achievements of this club has been to replace players and it’s not easy. Before, the club was Txiki [Begiristain, the former director of football] when he was here, now the club with Hugo [Viana]. So for sure I feel very lucky because it’s not easy to replace these kind of players, they are top players.”
