Chelsea are prepared to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for the right price, provided they can improve their squad before the window closes, according to recent developments. While no official club-to-club talks have taken place yet, the midfielder was omitted from the squad for a Carabao Cup fixture.
Manchester City’s Midfield Pursuit of Enzo Fernandez
Manchester City’s interest in Enzo Fernandez persists despite the club missing Chelsea’s August 14 deadline set by Chelsea. Chelsea had previously agreed with Fernandez’s representatives that a £120m fee would trigger a sale before that cutoff, though no formal bid materialized at the time.
Reinforcing the central midfield area has turned into a pressing priority for City following the departure of Rodri to Barcelona earlier this month. City’s roster adjustments also include Nico Gonzalez moving to Newcastle in a transfer worth up to £50m, Tijjani Reijnders leaving for Al Qadsiah for £51m, and Bernardo Silva joining Real Madrid upon the expiration of his contract.
To offset these exits, City have been active in the market. The club completed the signing of Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86m, setting a world-record fee for a teenager. Additionally, England international Elliot Anderson arrived from Nottingham Forest last month in a £116m deal.
Xabi Alonso’s Squad Decisions at Chelsea
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso addressed media inquiries after leaving Fernandez out of the matchday squad for Thursday night’s Carabao Cup second-round win over Luton, stating that a decision on whether the player will feature against Brighton on Sunday will be made closer to kickoff.
“It was just because of the game,”
Alonso explained during his post-match press conference, adding,
“We have other players who need minutes.”
When pressed on the timing of his selection choice, Alonso noted,
“In the afternoon. It’s a decision that I took.”
Describing the player’s current status amid the ongoing speculation, Alonso stated,
“Enzo is a good professional. He’s training well and I have nothing to say about this. It was just decisions that we have to take thinking about the game that we were playing tonight. We will see for Sunday.”
Alonso also acknowledged the volatile nature of the closing days of the market, confirming that Chelsea are “prepared for whatever”
occurs regarding potential departures.
Chelsea Target Replacements and Emi Martinez Agreement
Should Fernandez depart, Chelsea are weighing potential midfield additions, keeping tabs on Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, although both selling clubs currently view their assets as unsellable. City have also monitored Alex Scott as a target, alongside Roma’s Manu Kone.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have moved to secure reinforcements elsewhere, agreeing to a £7.5m deal with Aston Villa for goalkeeper Emi Martinez. The move follows scrutiny over current No 1 Robert Sanchez after a costly error during a win at Fulham. Martinez became available after Villa signed Zion Suzuki from Parma for nearly £30m, while Juventus opted to sign Guglielmo Vicario from Spurs instead.
This incoming transfer creates immediate questions regarding the roles of Robert Sanchez and Mike Penders at Stamford Bridge for the upcoming campaign, with Penders having started the Carabao Cup tie against Luton.
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