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Enzo Fernandez seals £125m Chelsea exit to join Man City in British-record deal

Chelsea and Manchester City have agreed a British-record £125m fee for Enzo Fernandez, with the Argentine midfielder cleared to travel to Manchester for a medical. The move sets up an awkward reunion with Erling Haaland, who publicly accused Fernandez of stamping on him last season.

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Enzo Fernandez seals £125m Chelsea exit to join Man City in British-record deal
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Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is set to join Manchester City in a deal worth £125m, with the two clubs agreeing on a joint British-record transfer fee. Fernandez has been given the green light to travel to Manchester to complete his medical at the Etihad Stadium.

The transfer sets up a notable reunion between Fernandez and City striker Erling Haaland, who publicly called out the Argentine after City’s 2-0 Premier League win over Chelsea at the start of the 2024/25 season. Haaland told BBC Sport after that match: “All the time he stamps on me, he pushes me and everything, not only him. I don’t know what he wants but that’s what they do I guess.”

That incident was not the first time Fernandez had been involved in controversy with a future City teammate. During the World Cup clash between England and Argentina, Fernandez elbowed then-Newcastle midfielder Elliott Anderson — now at Manchester City — in the back. The foul went unpunished, drawing fury from England players and staff. Argentina won that match 2-1.

Fernandez had previously been linked with a move to Real Madrid under former Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, and the midfielder was reported to have been vocal about his interest in a switch to the Bernabéu. However, Los Blancos did not make a move for him this summer, leaving City to secure his signature.

The fee matches the British transfer record and represents a significant outlay for a City side that has endured an inconsistent recent period. Manager Pep Guardiola will be hoping Fernandez’s physicality and technical quality in midfield can help reinvigorate their Premier League title challenge.

For Chelsea, the sale marks the end of a turbulent chapter for a player who arrived at Stamford Bridge in January 2023 for a then-British record £106.7m fee from Benfica following his World Cup triumph with Argentina. Despite flashes of quality, Fernandez never fully established himself as the dominant midfield presence the club had anticipated.

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