Manchester City have identified Iliman Ndiaye as a potential target after the £75m departure of Sávio to Tottenham Everton value the wide forward in the region of £80m.
With Omar Marmoush also joining Spurs, on an initial season-long loan, Enzo Maresca wants to strengthen his attacking options. He is an admirer of Ndiaye, who has played 44 times for Senegal and is contracted to Everton until 2029.
Everton are interested in bringing Jack Grealish back from City after having him on loan last season. Grealish, also on Sunderland’s list of targets, is in the final year of his deal and Maresca suggested on Thursday the 30-year-old would leave.
“Jack is here until the day that he’s not here,” he said. “It’s my duty to try to help him to give us the best and then we’ll see in the next four-five days what happens.”
City agreed a €37.5m (£34m) deal for the Palmeiras winger Allan Elias on Monday, and are monitoring Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.
Maresca said City were also aiming to add “one or two captains” before the transfer window closes on Tuesday night. This summer, City’s squad has lost the leadership and experience of Bernardo Silva, Rodri, John Stones and Nathan Aké.
Maresca has nominated Rúben Dias and Erling Haaland as captains, but wants to add more players who can fill the role. One the Italian has identified is Enzo Fernández, who has captained Chelsea.
Although Chelsea’s deadline of 14 August for a bid to be lodged passed without one, City are expected to move for the 25-year-old midfielder. The targeting of Fernández follows the departures of Rodri and Nico González.
Maresca spoke generally about leadership. “We have experienced players,” he said. “For sure, we have leaders. Now we need to wait four-five more days when the transfer window closes if we can add one or two more captains to Rúben and Erling.”
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Maresca started Phil Foden in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth, fielding him on the wing rather than his more familiar No 10 position, because Jérémy Doku is injured. Foden has been inconsistent in the past two seasons. “For sure he can give much more,” Maresca said. “No doubt that he is going to be, again, the Phil we all know and we all want.”
Maresca downplayed Foden’s ability to be a captain, but said: “Because many players left, he has to take one step forward in terms of personality, leadership. But since day one I’ve been very happy with the way he’s working, and also his mood – he’s happy.”
Matheus Nunes is a doubt for City’s trip to Crystal Palace on Friday.