Manchester City have agreed a £125million deal to sign Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, with Enzo Maresca finally set to secure his top target from his former employers on deadline day.
It equals the British transfer record which was paid to Newcastle by Liverpool for Alexander Isak last summer, and marks the end of a saga which has dominated this window.
City waited until the final two days of the window to initiate club-to-club contact, though their interest in the 25-year-old Argentinian has been known all summer.
Fernandez had been pushing to be reunited with Maresca since learning of City’s interest.
Chelsea initially attempted to accelerate City’s chase by creating their own deadline for bids by Friday August 14 at 5pm. That was for a £120m transfer and the terms were communicated to their Premier League counterparts via Fernandez’s representatives. Chelsea’s hope was that it would give them ample time to replace their 2022 World Cup-winning midfielder.
Manchester City have reached an agreement with Chelsea for the signing of Enzo Fernandez
However, City did not play along with Chelsea’s mock deadline. No offer was submitted, and those inside Stamford Bridge claimed they ‘expected’ Fernandez to stay with them for 2026-27.
He was even handed the captain’s armband when he appeared as a substitute in their final friendly at home to Real Sociedad. Fernandez appeared in their Premier League opener at Fulham as a substitute, and while the home fans inside Craven Cottage booed him, the away end welcomed him warmly. Those Chelsea supporters even chanted his name.
Fernandez trained with his team-mates, but then disappeared.
Following talks with Xabi Alonso, he was not involved in their Carabao Cup win over Luton, or in their Premier League victory against Brighton. Alonso insisted publicly it was his decision after speaking with the player, but did add he selected a squad that had the ‘desire to play’.
Maresca had a good relationship with Fernandez at Chelsea, where he often wore the captain’s armband in the absence of Reece James. Maresca also handed him that armband barely a month after the Argentinian was accused of singing a racist song following his country’s 2024 Copa America triumph. That was in Chelsea’s Premier League opener at home to City.
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