Manchester City sign Enzo Fernandez for £125m
Manchester City have struck a deal worth £125m with Chelsea to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez on transfer deadline day, equalling the British record fee that Liverpool spent to bring Alexander Isak from Newcastle last summer, reports BritPanorama.
Formal negotiations between the two Premier League clubs commenced on Monday, with an agreement reached within 24 hours. The Argentine World Cup winner, 25, initially moved to Stamford Bridge from Benfica in 2023 for what was then a record British fee of £107m.
Fernandez is now set to travel to Manchester for a medical before signing a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium. Personal terms are not expected to pose any obstacle to the transfer being completed.
This transfer reunites Fernandez with Enzo Maresca, the Italian manager who coached him during his time at Chelsea before being dismissed in January. Fernandez had previously expressed discontent over that decision, stating, “I don’t understand it. Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things.”
Chelsea’s head coach Xabi Alonso was reserved when addressing questions about whether Fernandez had played his last game for the club, saying, “We’ll see.” He added, “We want the best for the team and that’s why we made the decision against Luton, and anything that happens before Tuesday evening, we need to be aware of what is going to develop.”
Maresca has been eager to bring Fernandez to the Etihad following a summer in which a number of midfielders departed City’s ranks. This marks the second occasion this summer that City have smashed their own transfer record, having previously paid £116m to acquire Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Fernandez’s move to the Etihad is expected to be finalised before the window shuts on Tuesday evening, with personal terms already understood to be agreed in principle. Chelsea have already compiled a five-player shortlist of potential replacements for Fernandez, although an initial attempt to lure Martin Zubimendi from Arsenal has been rebuffed.
As the transfer deadline looms, it’s a reminder of the relentless pace of the Premier League, where fortunes can shift in mere days and where yesterday’s stars can quickly become tomorrow’s consideration as clubs scramble to maintain competitiveness in an ever-evolving landscape.
