Chelsea sets Friday deadline for Manchester City’s £120m Enzo Fernandez bid
Chelsea has set a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday for Manchester City to submit an offer for midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The London club values Fernandez at £120m and has communicated that if this valuation is not met by the deadline, the Argentina international will not be sold during the current transfer window or the winter window. Fernandez has six years remaining on his current contract with Chelsea.
Reports indicate that Manchester City is interested in the 25-year-old midfielder, who had a strong relationship with Enzo Maresca when Maresca was the manager at Chelsea. Maresca is now the head coach for Manchester City, having joined the club this summer after City paid Chelsea £17m in compensation. Maresca had resigned from Chelsea at the end of 2025, with three and a half years left on his contract, after being approached about potentially succeeding Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea has not yet received a bid for Fernandez from Manchester City. The club’s decision to impose a deadline is aimed at avoiding distractions as the new season approaches. Chelsea believes that interested clubs have had ample time to make an approach for Fernandez and wants new manager Xabi Alonso and his players to focus on the upcoming season.
Transfer Market Dynamics
The prospect of Manchester City making a late move for Fernandez has been influenced by Barcelona’s pursuit of Rodri. Barcelona had a £40m bid for Rodri rejected but is reportedly ready to increase their offer to between £50m (€60m) and £60m (€70m). Rodri, who is 30 years old, is in the final year of his contract with Manchester City, though City aims to retain him.
Manchester City has other targets in mind for potential departures. They are in ongoing discussions with Lille for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. City has already signed central midfielder Elliot Anderson for £116m from Nottingham Forest. Additionally, City is aware of interest from Nottingham Forest in Tijjani Reijnders.
Chelsea acquired Fernandez for approximately £107m from Benfica during the 2023 winter transfer window. The club’s valuation of £120m for a World Cup winner is seen as justified by some, especially considering Manchester City paid £116m for Anderson and Tottenham spent £100m on Sandro Tonali.
Fernandez’s Situation at Chelsea
Fernandez’s future at Chelsea has been a subject of discussion. He was suspended by the club for two games in April after making comments while on international duty, where he reportedly criticized club decisions and expressed interest in living in Madrid. Both Fernandez and his agent later apologized for these comments. His agent, Javier Pastore, also spoke earlier in the year about a lack of progress in contract negotiations, and there are no indications of a new agreement, with his existing terms running until 2032.
Despite these events, Chelsea is prepared to reintegrate Fernandez into the squad. New manager Xabi Alonso has spoken with Fernandez and is content to include him in his plans for the upcoming season. Chelsea believes Fernandez can perform well under Alonso’s leadership and hopes to conclude the ongoing speculation surrounding his future. His midfield partner at Chelsea, Moises Caicedo, reportedly urged Fernandez to remain at the club earlier this month.
The summer transfer window is scheduled to close on Tuesday, September 1.
Source: skysports.com
