Manchester City Eye Enzo Fernandez Amid Transfer Deadline
Manchester City are weighing up a late move for Enzo Fernandez as the transfer window ticks towards its deadline, with Enzo Maresca pushing hard for the Chelsea midfielder to become the centrepiece of his rebuilt engine room.
Fernandez has been high on City's list for weeks, identified as the ideal successor to Rodri after the Spain international’s departure. City have already moved once in midfield, bringing in 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, who caught the eye at the World Cup. That deal was never going to be the end of their business. Maresca wants more control, more technical security, more personality in the middle of the pitch – and Fernandez is the name he keeps coming back to.
City are not short of alternatives. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Roma’s Manu Kone are also under consideration as they look to deepen Maresca’s options. But inside the club, Fernandez is viewed as the top target, the one who most closely matches the manager’s demands.
Chelsea’s deadline that didn’t quite stick
Chelsea had tried to seize the initiative. Earlier this month, they set a clear line in the sand: any club wanting Fernandez needed to submit a bid worth up to £120m by a Friday 5pm deadline. Manchester City simply let that time pass.
The stance from Stamford Bridge looked firm on paper. In reality, it has started to look more flexible. When Sky Sports News spoke to Xabi Alonso last week, the Chelsea head coach offered no guarantees about Fernandez’s future. No declarations that he would stay, no attempt to shut the door. Just a short answer: the player was working hard ahead of the Monday Night Football game against Fulham.
Then came team selection at Craven Cottage. With injuries biting and no Moises Caicedo available, it felt an obvious moment to lean on Fernandez from the start. Instead, Alonso went with Reece James alongside Romeo Lavia in central midfield. Fernandez had to settle for a place on the bench.
When he did come on, the noise told its own story. Boos from the Fulham supporters. A far warmer response from the Chelsea end, where fans had been split only 10 days earlier when he appeared against Real Sociedad in their final pre-season friendly at Stamford Bridge. The reaction remains mixed, the situation unresolved.
A strained relationship and a huge price
Any negotiation between Chelsea and Manchester City comes with baggage. Relations between the clubs are strained, not least after Maresca’s departure around Christmas time, an exit Chelsea feel badly disrupted their season. City ended up paying £17m in compensation for their role in that move, a figure that still lingers in the background.
That history matters now. Chelsea had previously set Fernandez’s asking price at around £120m. Whether they stick to that number for City, or try to push it higher, is a key question. What is clear is that any deal would be complex and politically charged, not just financially heavy.
On the other side of the table, City have room to move. They have sold a record number of players in this window and freed up significant funds. The structure is there for a major outlay if they decide Fernandez is worth the push.
Maresca’s stance is no secret: he loves Fernandez’s profile and sees him as central to his project. The decision now rests with City’s hierarchy.
How far are they willing to go for the midfielder their new manager wants more than any other?
