Manchester City’s Argentine connection could be strengthened even further if Enzo Fernández makes the move to the Etihad. New City manager Enzo Maresca reportedly wants to reunite with his former Chelsea midfielder, having previously worked with Fernández at Stamford Bridge. With Fernández potentially available for more than £100 million, City would need to make a major financial commitment, but the move would fit their plans to rebuild the squad following Pep Guardiola’s departure and give Maresca the resources to establish his own team. Recent reports have put Chelsea’s valuation at around £120 million.
A move for Fernández would also continue Manchester City’s long and successful relationship with Argentine football. From Sergio Agüero and Carlos Tévez to Nicolás Otamendi and Julián Álvarez, numerous Argentines have played important roles in the club’s modern history.
Here is a look at the Argentine players who have been associated with Manchester City, including first-team players, academy graduates and players signed before being sent elsewhere on loan.
Claudio Echeverri
Claudio Echeverri is one of the newest Argentine additions to the Manchester City setup. The attacking midfielder joined City from River Plate in January 2024, although he remained in Argentina on loan before eventually moving to England.
Echeverri made his City first-team debut in the 2025 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and later scored his first goal for the club with a superb free-kick against Al Ain at the FIFA Club World Cup. He has been viewed as one of Argentina’s most exciting young talents, although City have used loans to give him more senior experience.
Máximo Perrone
Máximo Perrone arrived from Vélez Sarsfield in January 2023 as a highly rated defensive midfielder. He made his senior City debut shortly after arriving and became part of Guardiola’s squad during the historic Treble-winning campaign.
However, opportunities were limited, with Perrone making only two appearances for Guardiola during the 2022/23 season. He subsequently gained experience on loan at Las Palmas and Como before completing a permanent move to Como.
Julián Álvarez
Julián Álvarez is arguably the most successful of City’s recent Argentine recruits. Signed from River Plate in 2022, the striker made 103 appearances for the club, scoring 36 goals and winning six major trophies.
His debut season was particularly memorable. Álvarez was part of Guardiola’s Treble-winning squad, lifting the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. He later added the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup before leaving for Atlético Madrid in 2024.
Nahuel Bustos
Nahuel Bustos joined Manchester City from Talleres in 2020 as a promising Argentine forward. However, unlike Álvarez, he never established himself in the City first team.
Instead, Bustos was immediately sent to Girona, another club within the City Football Group, where he gained valuable experience in Spanish football. His time at City therefore belongs more to the club’s recruitment and development history than its first-team story.
Gerónimo Rulli
Gerónimo Rulli has a unique place in City's Argentine history because he has now had two spells with the club.
Rulli initially joined City in 2016 but was immediately loaned back to Real Sociedad and never made a senior appearance. In August 2026, City brought the experienced goalkeeper back from Marseille on a two-year contract. His return makes him one of the most recent Argentine additions to the squad and gives City an experienced option behind Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Pablo Maffeo
Pablo Maffeo is a slightly unusual inclusion on this list. Born in Spain, he came through Manchester City’s academy after joining from Espanyol and eventually made three senior appearances for the club.
Maffeo impressed during his limited first-team opportunities, including a memorable Manchester derby performance against Manchester United. He subsequently enjoyed successful loan spells, particularly at Girona, before leaving City permanently for Stuttgart in 2018. While he is Spanish rather than an Argentine international, his Argentine family heritage explains why he is sometimes included in lists of City players with Argentine connections.
Nicolás Otamendi
Nicolás Otamendi became one of City's most important defenders during the second half of the 2010s. Signed from Valencia in 2015, the Argentine centre-back quickly established himself alongside Vincent Kompany and became known for his aggressive, committed defending.
Otamendi made 210 appearances for City and won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, four League Cups and two Community Shields before joining Benfica in 2020.
Willy Caballero
Willy Caballero joined City from Málaga in 2014 and spent three seasons at the club. Although he was primarily a goalkeeper competing for his place, he became a cult hero among supporters.
His defining moment came in the 2016 League Cup final against Liverpool, when Caballero saved three penalties during the shootout to help City lift the trophy. He made 48 appearances before leaving in 2017.
Bruno Zuculini
Bruno Zuculini joined City from Racing Club in 2014 as a promising young midfielder. He was highly regarded in Argentina but struggled to break into City's competitive first-team setup.
Zuculini made only one competitive appearance for City, coming on as a substitute in the 2014 Community Shield against Arsenal. He subsequently embarked on a series of loan spells, including at Valencia, Middlesbrough and Hellas Verona.
Martín Demichelis
Martín Demichelis was a key figure during the early years of City's modern dominance. Signed from Atlético Madrid in 2013, the experienced defender quickly became an important part of Manuel Pellegrini’s team.
Demichelis made 105 appearances for City and won the Premier League and two League Cups. His consistency and experience made him a popular figure at the Etihad, particularly during City's 2013/14 title-winning campaign.
Sergio Agüero
No discussion of City's Argentine history can begin or end without Sergio Agüero. Signed from Atlético Madrid in 2011, Agüero became arguably the greatest Argentine player in Manchester City's history.
The striker scored 260 goals in 390 appearances, making him City's all-time leading goalscorer. He won 15 major trophies, including five Premier League titles, and his 93:20 goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 remains one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history.
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez arrived at Manchester City in 2009 and quickly became one of the faces of the club's transformation into a Premier League powerhouse.
The Argentine forward combined goals, aggression and relentless work rate, while also becoming captain. His arrival came shortly after City's ownership transformation and helped signal the club's growing ambitions. Tévez was also part of the side that ended City's 35-year wait for a major trophy by winning the 2011 FA Cup.
Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta was the first Argentine to truly establish himself as a Manchester City icon. Signed in 2008, the right-back spent nine years at the club and made 333 appearances.
His uncompromising style, commitment and connection with supporters made him one of the most beloved players of City's modern era. Zabaleta won multiple trophies and was part of the team that finally ended the club's long wait for silverware in 2011.
Will Enzo Fernández Become the Next Argentine City Star?
If Manchester City complete a deal for Enzo Fernández, he will arrive with significant expectations. Maresca already knows the midfielder from their time together at Chelsea, while City's reported interest comes as they prepare for a major new era following Guardiola.
A transfer costing more than £100 million would place Fernández among the club's most expensive signings, but City would be betting on his ability to provide quality, energy and leadership in midfield.
More importantly, Fernández could become the latest chapter in a remarkable Argentine story at Manchester City, one that began with Zabaleta, reached its greatest heights through Agüero and Tévez, and continued with Álvarez, Otamendi and a new generation of Argentine talent.
