Chelsea has made it clear that Enzo Fernández is expected to remain with the club for the upcoming season, as no team met their £120 million ($161.8 million) valuation by the Friday deadline, according to ESPN sources.
Chelsea provided interested clubs with a specific timeline to present their offers for the Argentina international, who expressed a desire to leave Stamford Bridge earlier this summer.
As reported by ESPN in May, Chelsea had set a price of £120 million for Fernández should he seek to exit. Despite interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid, no formal offers have been made.
Sources have informed ESPN that the conditions under which Chelsea would consider selling Fernández have lapsed, leading the club to expect the 25-year-old to stay throughout the season, likely eliminating the possibility of a transfer in January.
It remains uncertain whether City will attempt to challenge Chelsea’s position as the transfer window progresses, or how Fernández will respond to the current situation.
Fernández is contracted until 2032, and Chelsea is determined to profit from the player they acquired from Benfica for £107 million in February 2023.
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Sources suggest that new Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admires Fernández; however, the club publicly declared last month that they would not be making an offer this summer.
Manchester City’s interest is further complicated by uncertainty surrounding their own midfielder, Rodri, who has attracted two bids from Barcelona. Both offers were rejected by City, yet Rodri has just a year left on his contract and is open to leaving the club.