Manchester City will be guests at Old Trafford on Sunday in the first Manchester derby of the season. Maresca's team is having an impressive start and aiming to continue to maintain a winning streak, while Man United has only won 1 victory after the first 3 rounds of the Premier League.
However, Maresca does not underestimate his city rivals. The Italian strategist especially praised Michael Carrick, who took over Man United after Ruben Amorim left and is gradually rebuilding the team.
I think he has been doing very well since last season. He took over in a complex and difficult situation. They did very well. This season, overall, they started in the same way. He is doing very well”.
In the summer transfer window, Carrick focused on strengthening the midfield when bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba. Among these, Santos is a special name for Maresca because the Brazilian midfielder used to work under him at Chelsea.
Santos made 24 appearances for Chelsea under Maresca, but only started 9 times due to competition for a position with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. Man United spent £48 million initially to bring the 22-year-old player to Old Trafford.
However, Santos has not had a start as expected in his new shirt. After starting in the defeat to Hull City on the opening day, the Brazilian midfielder was only brought on from the bench in the following matches and is competing for a position with Kobbie Mainoo.
However, Maresca still believes Santos possesses remarkable qualities. The former Chelsea coach is particularly impressed with the attitude of his former student in training and believes that Man United already possesses a player with great potential.
First of all, Andrey is a very good person. Polite, humble, hardworking. Wishing him all the best. I can only say good things about Andrey," Maresca said.
The Manchester Derby is therefore also an opportunity for Santos to prove their value in Man United's colors. With positive reviews from Maresca, the £48 million contract is still expected to become an important part of Carrick's long-term plan.
