Manchester City have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez for £125 million, according to The Athletic. The fee equals the existing British transfer record set last summer when Liverpool purchased Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.
Fernandez, the 2022 World Cup winner, has been granted permission by Chelsea to undergo a medical ahead of the move. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue as the Argentina international signs a long-term deal at the Etihad Stadium, reported the BBC.
A Prolonged Transfer Saga
The deal concludes a drawn-out pursuit that saw Chelsea impose an August 14 deadline for bids. The west London club had valued Fernandez at £120 million and indicated on that date that they expected the midfielder to remain for the 2026-27 season after City missed the timeframe. Chelsea officials stated their valuation had been communicated to City and Fernandez’s representatives since May.
City’s focus shifted toward Fernandez after their attempts to sign Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo ended when the Merseyside club rejected a bid of up to £80 million, according to The Athletic. Fernandez had expressed a desire to leave Chelsea at the end of last season following the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Tensions rose at Stamford Bridge recently, with Fernandez being booed by supporters during a pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad and the opening Premier League match against Fulham. He did not feature in a 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Luton Town or a 4-3 league victory against Brighton on Sunday. Reports in Argentina suggested the player asked to be left out of those squads.
Midfield Rebuild at Manchester City
The acquisition of Fernandez is part of a comprehensive midfield overhaul for City manager Enzo Maresca, who previously worked with Fernandez for 18 months during his tenure at Chelsea. Under Maresca at Chelsea, Fernandez operated as a goalscoring midfielder in an advanced position, recording 15 goals and 19 assists in 79 matches.
City have faced significant departures from their midfield this summer, including:
- Rodri: Joined Barcelona for £65 million.
- Tijjani Reijnders: Joined Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah for fees cited between £51 million and £52 million.
- Nico Gonzalez: Joined Newcastle for a fee between £50 million and £52 million.
- Bernardo Silva: Departed as a free agent to join Real Madrid.
To reinforce the squad, City have also signed England international Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million and 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for a fee reported between £81 million and £95 million. Other arrivals include Brazilian winger Allan Elias for £34 million, as well as winger Jeremy Monga and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Chelsea’s Cultural Reset
For Chelsea, the sale advances a “cultural reset” and midfield revamp under manager Xabi Alonso. Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-British record of £106.8 million and had a contract running until 2032. With this move, he becomes the first footballer in history to move twice for fees exceeding £100 million and the third player in the Premier League era to break the British transfer record twice, alongside Rio Ferdinand and Alan Shearer, according to Livescore.
Chelsea is now seeking a replacement, having sounded out Roma’s Manu Koné and Monaco’s Lamine Camara. Monaco rejected a £38.5 million (€45 million) bid for Camara, while Roma’s Gian Piero Gasperini has expressed reluctance to sell Koné. Chelsea has also tracked Morgan Gibbs-White, though Nottingham Forest is considered unlikely to sell.
