City fall on penalties after 1–1 draw with Inter
Pre-season and the shootout was the difference. Manchester City 1–1 Inter after 90 minutes, but Inter took it 3–1 on penalties (2). The result stings less than what Maresca saw from one teenager.
McAidoo, 18, has Maresca raving
Ryan McAidoo played like someone who wants first-team minutes this season. Maresca did not hide his excitement afterwards: "He is the kind of winger I love. He is very aggressive one-v-one, he always tries, makes the right decisions. But he is very young and he needs the right path" (2) (3). That is not throwaway praise from a manager in July.
Rodri to Real Madrid, but City want the replacement first
Rodri is set to join Real Madrid. The deal is in motion, but City will not finalise the sale until the replacement is secured (1). That means the next few weeks are about who comes in, not who goes out.
Maresca eyeing Pedro Neto reunion
Enzo Maresca wants to work with Pedro Neto again. The Chelsea winger is on City's radar, with Maresca knowing him well from their time together (4). Early days, but the link is real.
Fan reactions
The McAidoo buzz is real. Fans on Reddit are already debating how he fits alongside Semenyo and Doku on the left, with some arguing Semenyo looked far more comfortable in that role during the Inter match. Join the discussion.
