‘Quite similar to Pep’ - Semenyo thrilled by Maresca's attacking philosophy at Man City

Semenyo joined City from Bournemouth in a £65 million deal last January, with Pep Guardiola securing his signature ahead of rivals. 

The Ghanaian international has since become an important player in the team, helping them to an FA Cup and Carabao Cup trophy.

With the new season edging closer, City began their preparation, losing on penalties to Inter Milan in Maresca's debut match in Hong Kong.

Semenyo, who played the first 45 minutes, claimed he likes the forward-thinking style the new boss intends to implement after succeeding Guardiola.

"When he got appointed, that was the first thing I thought about," Semenyo said. "When you've played Chelsea previously when he was there, his wide men were always high and quite free. So that was one of the things that excited me the most."

The forward revealed he has had individual meetings with Maresca to discuss tactics. "I think his ideas are great, quite similar to Pep, but if you watched the [Inter] game, you would have seen a couple of his ideas play out," he explained. 

"Enzo is just [saying] stay out wide and when you get the ball, just create opportunities. So it is music to my ears."

He recalled that interest first emerged in early December, followed by "a lot of talks" before he decided to make the move.

Reflecting on his time at his former club, Semenyo expressed his gratitude. "I owe them everything, to be honest," he said of Bournemouth. 

"They helped my Premier League career flourish and obviously the management, the staff behind the scenes, they were all amazing."

Last season was a triumph for Semenyo, who scored 21 goals for club and country. His achievements included scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Chelsea—a moment he called a "dream come true"—and lifting the Carabao Cup.