“It is one more week to go and we will see what happens.” The line came from Enzo Maresca with deadline day closing in, and it left open the possibility of more movement at Manchester City without promising anything definite. Jack Grealish was among the substitutes and later came off the bench in the closing stages, while Nico González is also among the names being discussed.

Grealish's bench role does not tell the whole story

Maresca was careful not to read too much into selection patterns. He specifically named Rayan Ait-Nouri and Vitor Reis as players who did not play but were not expected to leave because of that, and he made the same point when asked about Grealish.

That is the part City fans should keep in view. A bench appearance is not a transfer signal on its own, and Maresca pushed back on that reading rather than feeding it.

The wider backdrop still makes the window feel unsettled. City are 15th in the 2026 Premier League table with 0 points because the season is just starting, and their last five league results were L, L, D, W, W. The football is not the point here, but the mixed run does help explain why the squad remains in flux.

Savinho and the late-window reshuffle

There is still real business moving in the background. Tottenham are believed to be close to signing Omar Marmoush, and Savinho's move is expected to be ratified in the coming days. Spurs have agreed a £75million deal for Savinho that includes another £5m guaranteed and another potential £5m on top of that.

City's incoming side is just as striking. The club have agreed a deal to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for an initial £84.1million, on a five-year contract with the option of an extra year. Bouaddi is 18, and he has already logged 371 minutes across his last five matches, so this is not a player arriving cold.

The clear read is that City are still juggling both exits and arrivals with a week left in the window. Maresca has left the door open for more departures, but he has also made it plain that Grealish's bench role, or anyone else's, does not confirm a move. The final calls are still to come in the next seven days.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →