Enzo Maresca believes Enzo Fernandez's winning mentality will prove crucial to Manchester City's new era after the midfielder completed a £125 million ($169 million) move from Chelsea, matching the Premier League transfer record.
Fernandez reunites with Maresca after previously working under the Italian at Stamford Bridge, where the pair lifted both the Club World Cup and Conference League during their only full season together.
The 25-year-old also boasts a World Cup winner's medal after helping Argentina triumph in Qatar in 2022, although the defence of their crown four years later ended in heartbreak.
Fernandez scored crucial goals in comeback victories over Egypt and England at the 2026 World Cup but was sent off in the final as Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain.
"He's a winner and when you belong to a squad and another winner arrives they are always happy," said Maresca, who has taken on the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
"I can promise you that in the last four or five days, four or five players in the squad were asking if he was coming or not because they wanted him to be with us.
"It's very important that he is with us and we are 100 per cent happy with that."
Manchester City have backed Maresca heavily in the transfer market, overseeing the biggest spending spree by a single club in one window.
City spent close to £460 million in total, with Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Iliman Ndiaye among the other major additions to Maresca's squad.
However, the club have also recouped around £300 million through the sales of Rodri, Savio, Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez and James Trafford.
"I'm very, very happy for the effort from the ownership, very happy in the last days," Maresca said.
"Iliman and Enzo arrived and now the squad is complete, it's finished. Now it's time to work."
Maresca has already made an encouraging start to life at the Etihad, guiding City to back-to-back Premier League victories over Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.
The early results have provided momentum as Manchester City target their first Premier League title in three seasons.
Another victory will be expected on Saturday when newly-promoted Coventry City visit the Etihad Stadium.
Coventry are still searching for their first point since returning to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, leaving City as strong favourites to continue their perfect start under Maresca.
