Alexander Isak’s
drawn‑out £125m transfer
to
Liverpool
set the tone for last summer’s window — and there are indications
Manchester City
’s pursuit of Enzo Fernandez could unfold in a similarly protracted way.
Chelsea reached an understanding with the Argentina midfielder’s representative, Javier Pastore, in late May that Fernandez could leave for £120m — but only if an offer arrived by 14 August.
With Friday’s deadline passing without a formal bid, the Blues have since informed Fernandez’s camp he will not be sold this window.
Even so, as the Isak episode showed, these situations are rarely straightforward. After weeks of
Newcastle United insisting he was off-limits, the Sweden striker completed his British record move to
Liverpool on deadline day.
A year later, the uncertainty around Fernandez persists.
Manchester City, now led by his former
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, remain eager to recruit the 25‑year‑old and believe the London club are still open to talks.
City are also in advanced negotiations over an £85m move for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and want to reinforce their midfield after Rodri’s switch to Barcelona and Bernardo Silva’s exit at the end of his contract.
They have already brought in midfielder Elliot Anderson from
Nottingham Forest for a club‑record £116m, winger Jeremy Monga from Leicester City for £12.5m, and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from Marseille for £1.7m.
Should Fernandez and Bouaddi arrive, Maresca’s total spend would likely pass £330m.
A significant portion of that would be offset by the sales of Rodri and James Trafford, with Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho also expected to depart. The exits of Silva, John Stones and Nathan Ake have eased the wage bill as well.
Reports in Spain claim
Chelsea remain privately receptive to selling Fernandez and have enlisted high‑profile agent Jorge Mendes — who also represents winger Pedro Neto — to help find a resolution.
Earlier in the summer, Fernandez pushed for a move to Real Madrid, though the Spanish club later denied any interest. His situation is further complicated by a fractious rapport with
Chelsea supporters.
He was met with a mixture of jeers and cheers when introduced during Saturday’s 3‑1 friendly win over Real Sociedad, with the split response repeated whenever he touched the ball.
Chelsea are confident he can be reintegrated and underlined that stance by handing him the captain’s armband when he replaced Reece James last weekend.
Nonetheless, doubts linger over whether he will stay — and there is unease about the disruption a late departure could cause, particularly if new manager Xabi Alonso required a replacement.