Manchester City’s hopes of signing Enzo Fernandez have suffered a major setback after Chelsea’s Friday 5pm deadline passed without the Premier League champions submitting an offer for the midfielder.
Chelsea had made it clear that any interested club would need to make a formal approach by the deadline if they wanted to negotiate for Fernandez. With no bid arriving from City, the expectation is now that the Argentina international will remain at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.
The Blues value the 25-year-old at around £120 million, a figure that has so far proved too high for City to meet.
Chelsea had also previously communicated acceptable verbal terms and conditions to Fernandez’s representatives for interested clubs. Those terms, understood to have been available since the end of May, are now no longer on the table.
Man City interest remains
Although Friday’s deadline has passed, the door has not necessarily been closed permanently.
Manchester City remain admirers of Fernandez, particularly manager Enzo Maresca, who knows the midfielder well from his time in charge of Chelsea.
Maresca is believed to be a major admirer of Fernandez’s qualities and understands the role he could play in City’s midfield. However, any potential move now appears heavily dependent on what happens with Rodri.
Barcelona have already seen two offers rejected by City for the Spain international. City are determined to keep Rodri and would prefer him to sign a new contract, with his current deal due to expire next summer.
If Barcelona eventually return with an offer that City consider acceptable, however, the situation could change quickly.
Fernandez could then become a potential target to help fill the void left by Rodri.
Chelsea determined to keep Fernandez
Chelsea’s position remains firm: they do not intend to sell Fernandez during the current transfer window or the January window.
The club imposed the deadline partly to eliminate uncertainty and prevent another prolonged transfer saga from distracting the squad ahead of the new campaign.
Chelsea believe interested clubs have had almost two months to make their intentions clear. With new manager Xabi Alonso preparing his squad for the season, the club wants the focus to remain firmly on football rather than transfer speculation.
Fernandez still has six years remaining on his Chelsea contract, giving the club significant control over his future.
Chelsea signed the midfielder from Benfica for around £107 million in January 2023, making him one of the most expensive players in Premier League history.
Complicated relationship between Chelsea and City
A potential Fernandez transfer is also complicated by the increasingly strained relationship between Chelsea and Manchester City following Maresca’s departure.
City paid Chelsea around £17 million in compensation to appoint Maresca after he left Stamford Bridge, despite having three-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.
Maresca’s exit followed months of speculation linking him with the City job, with the Italian having reportedly been sounded out about succeeding Pep Guardiola.
Chelsea are therefore understandably reluctant to make life easier for a direct Premier League rival.
Fernandez’s future remains uncertain
Fernandez’s future has been the subject of speculation for much of the summer, particularly after he admitted that he would welcome the possibility of living in Madrid.
Chelsea dropped him for two matches in April following those comments, although he later returned to the team.
For now, though, the midfielder appears set to remain in west London.
City could still make a late move before the September 1 transfer deadline if their midfield situation changes, particularly if Rodri leaves for Barcelona. But unless that chain of events materialises, Fernandez is expected to begin the 2026/27 campaign as a Chelsea player.
For Chelsea, Friday’s missed deadline represents an important step towards ending the uncertainty. For City, meanwhile, the situation may depend on whether their plans for Rodri change in the final weeks of the transfer window.
