Manchester City have completed the signing of midfielder Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for a fee of £125 million ($169 million), according to reports from Aljazeera and the BBC. The transfer, announced Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, equals the British transfer record previously set by Liverpool’s £125 million acquisition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle a year ago.
Manchester City Secure Record-Equalling Deal for Enzo Fernández
The deal was finalized on the deadline day for European transfers, with City confirming the move via a video on X. The 25-year-old Argentina international joins City on a five-year contract. The acquisition takes Manchester City’s spending for a single transfer window to a Premier League record £458 million, surpassing the £415 million spent by Liverpool last summer, although City achieved approximately £300 million from player sales during the same period.
City’s Midfield Reconstruction
The arrival of Fernández is part of a significant overhaul of City’s central midfield under manager Enzo Maresca, who previously coached Fernández at Chelsea. The club has spent £327 million on midfielders this summer, according to The Guardian. Fernández will join new arrivals Elliot Anderson, signed from Nottingham Forest for £116 million in July, and Ayyoub Bouaddi, who arrived from Lille for £86 million.
This recruitment drive follows the departure of several key players, including World Cup winner Rodri, who was sold to Barcelona, and Bernardo Silva, who moved to Real Madrid. City also sold Nico González to Newcastle and lost Tijjani Reijnders. Sporting director Hugo Viana described Fernández as a complete midfielder
who is technically gifted, hardworking, tenacious, and a goalscorer.
Departure from Stamford Bridge
Fernández’s exit follows a period of tension at Chelsea. The midfielder, who served as unofficial vice-captain, had expressed interest in joining Real Madrid earlier in the summer. He was booed by Chelsea supporters during a friendly against Real Sociedad and again during a Premier League opener at Fulham. He was also omitted from the squad for a 4-3 win over Brighton and a 2-0 Carabao Cup victory against Luton.
In an open letter posted to Instagram, Fernández admitted the truth is, I haven’t been in a good place
and noted that the decision to leave was difficult
. He thanked the club and its staff, stating that Chelsea would always be in my heart
. During his tenure since joining Benfica in 2023 for a then-British record fee of £106.7 million, Fernández scored 31 goals in 170 appearances and helped the club win the 2025 UEFA Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Deadline Day Context
The Fernández deal was reached after 24 hours of negotiations, despite Chelsea having set an unofficial deadline of 17:00 BST on August 14 for offers of £120 million or more. Chelsea’s window concluded with approximately £500 million generated from loans and sales, including the sale of Marc Guiu to RB Leipzig for between £14.5 million and £16 million.
Manchester City’s activity on the final day extended beyond the midfield. The club signed forward Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for up to £65 million and agreed to loan Jack Grealish back to Everton for another season.
| Player | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Enzo Fernández | Chelsea | £125m |
| Elliot Anderson | Nottingham Forest | £116m |
| Ayyoub Bouaddi | Lille | £86m |
