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See the full story · 1 sourcesRevealed: Enzo Maresca’s first words to Elliot Anderson and Man City midfielder’s family
Maresca’s opening exchange with £116M star Elliot Anderson has been caught by in-house media
The Man City manager told Anderson he can call him “anything, anything” at any time
Maresca urged Anderson to “enjoy this moment” before pre-season gets underway
The opening exchange between Enzo Maresca and his first signing as Manchester City manager has been revealed by the club’s in-house media team.
Anderson joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest earlier this month in a deal worth £116 million, making him the costliest signing in the club’s history and briefly setting a new British transfer record.
Maresca had already spoken in his first press conference about proactively reaching out to players over the summer , contacting Phil Foden after his England exclusion and Jeremy Doku upon becoming a father – and his first words to Anderson reveal the same instinct to put the player and those around him at ease before the serious work begins.
Man City have dominated Man United for as long as I’ve known, says Elliot Anderson after £116M transfer Maresca to Anderson: You have my number – enjoy this moment, see you soon!
Now, as revealed within the latest edition of Manchester City’s ‘Inside City’ series , Enzo Maresca’s opening exchange with £116 million midfield signing Elliot Anderson has been caught by in-house media crews.
“You have my number; anything, anything, you can ask,” the Manchester City manager told the Englishman in an exchange alongside the player’s family and representatives.
“Now, enjoy your holiday, rest – that is the most important thing. Then we start every three days, three days, three days. So enjoy this moment. See you soon!”
Maresca’s reference to “every three days” reflects the relentless rhythm of a Premier League season, and its framing as something to build toward rather than something to dread gives a telling insight into how the Italian wants his players to approach the demands ahead.
What does the exchange reveal about Maresca’s Man City relationship with Anderson?
Anderson has spoken across his first interviews about how conversations with friends from Chelsea shaped his confidence in Maresca as a manager – describing those who worked under him as rating the Italian “very highly” – and the footage confirms that the feeling is evidently mutual.
The offer of a personal phone number in that first meeting is not a formality; it is a deliberate signal from a manager who wants his record signing to know that access is direct, unconditional and immediate – the kind of environment that Anderson’s England teammate Declan Rice described when calling Anderson “one of the best I’ve played with” and expressing certainty that Manchester City fans would be “very happy” with the signing.
For director of football Hugo Viana , seeing the relationship between manager and record signing begin in this fashion will be deeply encouraging – the chemistry between Maresca and Anderson already visible in a short, unscripted corridor moment long before a competitive ball has been kicked.
Transfer fee, contract length, first reactions, shirt number: Man City sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest
Whether that chemistry translates into the performances and trophies Manchester City demand will only become clear when the season begins – but the warmth and trust captured in Maresca’s first words to Anderson suggest the foundations could hardly have been laid more naturally.
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