McAidoo came on for City’s scorer Divin Mubama at the start of the second half and immediately looked intent on making things happen.
As he began to get the upper hand over Inter Milan’s defence, a buzz followed every touch—one sharp burst ended with a low cross that was blocked at the near post.
He was inches from being the match-winner, clipping a skidding effort off the base of the post and sending another shot just wide.
Even so, McAidoo was the game’s standout performer.
With academy graduates like Phil Foden, Nico O’Reilly and Cole Palmer stepping up to City’s first team in recent years, the question is whether McAidoo can do the same.
Contributor Harry wrote on BBC Sport’s live text page: “McAidoo gives me the same feeling I had with Foden, O’Reilly and Palmer.
“You just sense he’s ready to play. I’d love to see him against a free-flowing side.
“He’s so positive and constantly looks to drive forward.”
Asked whether McAidoo might get chances in the cups or be sent out on loan, Maresca sounded upbeat.
“At the moment, with most young players, the idea is to see them in pre-season and then decide,” he said.
“We started 10 days ago. Ryan is working well; he just needs to keep going and then we’ll make the right decision. I’m always very open with young players.
“When I was at Leicester, that season we had a record number of debutants. At Chelsea, too, there were record academy debuts. If they’re good enough, there’s no problem.”