Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes has described the departures of Bernardo Silva and John Stones as huge losses for the club as the side prepares for a new season under Enzo Maresca.
Nunes spoke about the decision by Silva and Stones to leave Manchester City, with their exits representing a significant change for a squad that finished second in the Premier League last season.
Manchester City ended the previous Premier League campaign as runners-up after collecting 78 points from their 38 matches. That result left the club behind the champions in the final table and provided the basis for a new campaign in which the team will have to adapt to major changes.
The departures of Silva and Stones are among the most notable developments surrounding Manchester City as preparations begin for the new season. Nunes said both players would be major losses to the team, underlining the importance of their absence from the squad.
The new campaign will also begin without Pep Guardiola in charge of Manchester City. Guardiola decided to leave his position as the club’s manager after the conclusion of the previous season, bringing an end to his time in the role.
Enzo Maresca has been appointed as Guardiola’s successor and will take charge of Manchester City for the first time at the start of the new season. His arrival means the club will enter the campaign with a new manager as well as without Silva and Stones.
For Nunes, the changes mark a significant transition for Manchester City. The club’s second-place finish and 78-point total from last season remain the latest competitive benchmark, while the managerial change adds another major element to the team’s preparations.
Silva and Stones leaving means Manchester City will have to continue without two players Nunes regards as important figures. Their departures, combined with Guardiola’s decision to step down, ensure the move into the new season will be different from previous campaigns.
Maresca will therefore begin his tenure with the task of leading a team that finished second in the Premier League and earned 78 points last season, while also coping with the loss of Silva and Stones. Nunes’s comments highlight the scale of those changes before the opening of the new campaign.
The midfielder’s assessment makes clear that Manchester City’s transition is not limited to the dugout. Alongside the arrival of Maresca, the club must also begin a season without Guardiola, Silva and Stones, all of whom were part of the previous period at the club.
Manchester City will now move forward under Maresca, with the new manager taking over a side that finished second after 38 Premier League matches. The departures of Silva and Stones, according to Nunes, will be felt as the club starts its next chapter.