Manchester City is reportedly preparing an initial offer for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The Argentina international has been identified by manager Enzo Maresca as a key target to strengthen City’s midfield, especially following several high-profile departures from the club.
Chelsea is aware of City’s interest in the player. Earlier this summer, an unofficial deadline was set for a potential deal, with a minimum fee of £120m. However, that date passed without a transfer. Despite this, Manchester City is anticipated to make another attempt to sign the 25-year-old before the upcoming transfer deadline next week.
Should the transfer proceed, Fernandez could become one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history. Only Liverpool‘s £125m acquisition of Alexander Isak last summer would surpass it. There is a positive relationship between Fernandez and Maresca, who moved to Etihad Stadium in June after leaving Chelsea on New Year’s Day.
This potential move could mark the second time City breaks its transfer record within the same window. The club previously paid £116m for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Manchester City has also seen four significant midfield exits recently.
Midfield Departures and Previous Interest
Among the players who have left City, Tijjani Reijnders was sold to Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah for £52m. Barcelona signed Rodri for £65m, while Newcastle agreed a £52m deal for Nico Gonzalez. Additionally, Bernardo Silva departed earlier in the summer to join Real Madrid.
Fernandez’s time at Stamford Bridge has been described as turbulent. He and his agent, former Paris St-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore, reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid. However, the Spanish club issued a statement denying any attempt to sign him. This situation has been ongoing since Chelsea’s exit from the Champions League against PSG in March, after which Fernandez became increasingly critical of Chelsea.
New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso mentioned in July that he had a private conversation with Fernandez. Fernandez originally signed for Chelsea for £107m from Benfica in 2023. Alonso, however, declined to provide details of their discussion.
In a recent match, Fernandez came on as a second-half substitute in Monday’s 3-2 win against Fulham. During this appearance, he was reportedly booed by home supporters due to his role in England’s World Cup exit. After briefly celebrating with the away fans and his teammates following the final whistle, he was the first Chelsea player to leave the pitch.
Chelsea’s Transfer Activity
Reports also indicate that Chelsea is preparing to revisit Bournemouth for Alex Scott, as Enzo Fernandez’s potential move to Manchester City draws nearer. Meanwhile, Aston Villa has shown willingness to offer Chelsea a £65m package for striker Nicolas Jackson, amidst uncertainty surrounding Ollie Watkins‘ future.
Ollie Watkins could potentially earn an annual salary of £12m if Al Hilal reaches an agreement with Aston Villa in the final week of the summer transfer window. Aston Villa also made an offer for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, but this offer was reportedly significantly below Palace’s valuation.
Other transfer news includes Tottenham Hotspur nearing a £400m summer spending total with the potential signing of Omar Marmoush from Manchester City. Newcastle has launched a £35m bid for Lille winger Matias Fernandez-Pardo. Additionally, Newcastle United has appointed former defender Paul Dummett to its revamped loans department, which is slated for a key role in the ‘Newcastle 2.0 project’.
Brentford is reportedly close to securing a deal for West Ham left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf. In Scottish football, PAOK is set to compete with Celtic for Ermin Mahmic. Aberdeen is unlikely to pursue their interest in Killian Phillips during this window, unless St Mirren significantly reduces their £500,000 asking price. Chelsea’s record sale remains Eden Hazard‘s move to Real Madrid in 2019, which was initially valued at £89m, potentially rising to £150m with add-ons.
Source: bbc.com
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