Manchester City have made a perfect start to the 2026/27 Premier League season under new manager Enzo Maresca.
The Cityzens have won all five of their league matches, with their latest victory coming in a thrilling 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City have scored 13 goals and conceded just five in the Premier League so far, while they have also progressed in the Carabao Cup after beating Norwich City 5-0.
The Manchester City signings from the 2026 summer window have already played an important role in the club’s impressive start.
Enzo Fernandez scored his first Man City goal against Sunderland, while Antoine Semenyo, who joined during the previous January window, has also made an excellent start to the campaign. Elliot Anderson has become an important part of the midfield, while Rayan Cherki has continued to provide creativity in attack.
However, with several of the Manchester City signings still adapting to Maresca’s system, it is too early to know exactly how much of an impact the new arrivals will have over the full campaign.
The Impact of the 2026/27 Manchester City Signings
The opening weeks of the season have already provided a good indication of where the summer additions have strengthened Man City and where there are still questions to answer.
The biggest changes have come in midfield and attack, while the defence has seen fewer changes during the summer window.
More Firepower in Attack
The Manchester City signings have given Maresca more options in an attack that was already filled with quality.
Iliman Ndiaye joined from Everton on deadline day after signing a five-year contract with City. The Senegal international can play on either wing or through the middle and gives Maresca another versatile attacking option.
Ndiaye made his City debut against Coventry City and started alongside Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland.
However, it has been Semenyo who has made the biggest impact among Man City’s recent attacking additions.
The Ghana international joined from Bournemouth in January, meaning he is not technically one of the summer Manchester City signings, but his performances have been an important part of the team’s start to the new campaign.
Allan Elias is another new option in the attacking areas after joining from Palmeiras during the summer.
The Brazilian scored on his senior debut against Norwich in the Carabao Cup, adding a goal and an assist in City’s 5-0 victory.
With Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Cherki, Semenyo, Ndiaye and Allan all available, the Manchester City signings have given Maresca plenty of options in the final third.
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A New-Look Midfield
Midfield is arguably where the Manchester City signings have made the biggest difference.
Man City needed to rebuild the position after Rodri’s departure to Barcelona, while Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez also left during the summer.
Maresca therefore brought in three major midfield additions in Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Fernandez arrived from Chelsea for a reported £125m fee on deadline day, and equalled the joint-British transfer fee record. Anderson joined from Nottingham Forest for around £116m, while Bouaddi arrived from Lille for a fee reported to be around £81m.
The three players give Maresca different options in the centre of the pitch.
Anderson has already made a strong impression. Against Crystal Palace, he recorded three interceptions, five tackles, five possessions won and 100 attempted passes.
Fernandez, meanwhile, has quickly become one of the most important Manchester City signings.
He made his debut against Coventry before scoring his first Man City goal against Sunderland, opening the scoring after just nine minutes.
The Argentina international also showed his ability to contribute in the final third, with his movement and passing allowing Man City to create opportunities from midfield.
Bouaddi has had fewer opportunities so far, but his arrival gives Maresca another young option who can develop alongside the more experienced midfielders.
The Manchester City signings have therefore significantly changed the look of the midfield, although there will inevitably be an adjustment period after so many changes in one position. Maresca has already said that Fernandez, Anderson and Bouaddi will be important players for City this season and beyond.
Defensive Questions Remain
Defence is a slightly different story when looking at the Manchester City signings.
City made major additions elsewhere during the summer, but the club did not make a comparable senior centre-back signing.
John Stones also left the club during the summer after 10 years at City, meaning Maresca has had to manage a slightly different group of central defensive options.
Marc Guehi and Rayan Ait-Nouri have strengthened the defence since arriving from Crystal Palace and Wolves respectively, but both players joined during the January transfer window rather than the summer.
That means Maresca has largely inherited his central defensive options for the start of the new season.
Ruben Dias remains an important part of the backline, while Josko Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov and Rico Lewis have also featured.
Man City have also changed their goalkeeping options.
Gianluigi Donnarumma joined from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer of 2025, while Geronimo Rulli returned to City from Marseille during the summer of 2026.
Donnarumma remains Man City’s first-choice goalkeeper, while Rulli provides experienced competition after joining the club on a two-year contract. Rulli previously signed for City in 2016 but left without making an official appearance after spending time on loan at Real Sociedad.
However, the early weeks of the campaign have shown that the Manchester City signings have not completely solved the defensive problems.
The biggest example came against Sunderland.
Man City conceded three goals to Brian Brobbey, who completed a hat-trick, despite eventually winning the match 5-3. Sunderland also created several opportunities during a game that Maresca admitted was more open than he would have liked.
Man City’s perfect league record means the defensive issues have not yet cost them points, but Maresca will know that conceding three goals at home cannot become a regular occurrence.
For now, the Manchester City signings have made a bigger difference in attack and midfield than they have at the back.
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Extra Time Notes
There is still a long way to go in Manchester City’s 2026/27 campaign, meaning it would be too early to make any final judgement on the summer arrivals.
The Manchester City signings have already made a noticeable difference, particularly in midfield.
Fernandez has scored his first goal, Anderson has quickly become a regular starter, and Bouaddi gives Maresca another young option for the future.
The attack has also benefited from the arrival of Ndiaye and Allan, while Semenyo’s excellent start has given City another major attacking threat, even though he joined before the summer window.
The main concern is therefore at the other end of the pitch, with Maresca having already admitted that he would prefer to win matches by smaller margins rather than rely on his attack to outscore the opposition.
There is also another major issue hanging over the club away from the pitch.
Manchester City have reportedly been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League following the long-running investigation into alleged financial rule breaches.
The alleged breaches cover the period from 2009 to 2018. However, sanctions have not yet been decided, and Man City have maintained that the Premier League process remains ongoing and that significant elements are still to be completed.
The situation could therefore become an important storyline around the club as the season develops, although it is currently separate from Maresca’s work with his new squad.
However, Man City remain the only Premier League side with a 100 per cent record heading into the extended international break, with Maresca’s team three points clear at the top of the table.
The Manchester City signings have therefore helped create a new-look squad, but the next few months will show whether Maresca can turn that improved depth into a team capable of maintaining its early-season momentum.
For now, the Manchester City signings have given the new manager plenty of options, while the international break gives him time to assess what still needs to improve.
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