They have to sell first, but that’s easier said than done. Maresca said that none of his current squad have indicated that they want to leave the club and the manager has no intention of forcing them to leave if they don’t want to. This is currently a trade barrier and Maresca only became aware of the problem in the first week of January.Maresca believes time is running out because even if City can’t make a move for the 28-year-old, other clubs could line up bids and steal away. So far,
there are no signs of this. No other clubs have been named as candidates for the Sens’ signature and he was included in Inter Milan’s squad at the weekend, suggesting he is not yet looking to move anywhere.Where would the Sens play?It’s hard to imagine anyone of Sens pedigree coming onto the bench at City. And there is an obvious place for him in the starting line-up with Wilfred Ndidi injured until April. This should mean that if he arrives before the end of the month, he will line up on the right side of the eight, forming a midfield trio with Harry Winks and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.Sens has been used in various midfield roles throughout his career, sometimes behind the striker,
sometimes sitting deep or sometimes moving from box to box. His range of passes means he would also be a strong candidate to cover for Winks should the former Tottenham man be injured or suspended. This will be especially useful with Hamza Choudhury covering both Winks and Ricardo Pereira.What would Sens bring?First of all, he is a great technician. Maresca keeps his teams on the ball
so players and especially midfielders who are very good on the ball are essential. Sens certainly is.Then it’s all about what he does when he has the ball and his passing ability is at its best. While on loan at Monza last season, he finished third in Serie A in forward passes per 90 minutes and fourth in final third passes per minutes. When it comes to moving the ball through the lanes into offensive zones, he is one of the best.Maresca may wish he had more goals and assists than in recent years. First in Inte, he played forward and scored three goals and four assists in his first six matches. But this year was the most injured for him.
He later scored four goals in 75 Serie A appearances.Why him and no one else?He is a player that Maresca knows and with the Roberto De Zerbi link he will quickly adapt to City’s style of play. As an Italian international, he was always on Maresca’s radar, but it’s who he played for that makes him stand out.His 2018-19 campaign at Sassuolo under De Zerbi earned Sens a move to Inter Milan. Maresca and De Zerbi have been friends for 30 years since they were together in AC Milan’s academy and not only trust each other, but share the same thoughts on football. If Sensi can excel under De Zerbi,
Maresca should be able to do the same under him.What problems must be overcome?Lesions. Simply put, if Sens has had no injury problems so far in his career, it’s hard to imagine him potentially signing for a Championship club, even if he hopes to return to the Premier League soon..
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