Enzo Fernandez's £125m move turns Man City from contenders to certainties, says Danny Mills

Enzo Fernandez’s move from Chelsea to Manchester City on a British record-equalling £125m fee has been hailed as a transformative signing by former City defender Danny Mills, who argues the Argentine’s arrival has turned his old club from potential contenders into genuine Premier League title favourites.

Fernandez, who won both the Club World Cup and the UEFA Conference League during his time at Stamford Bridge, completed his switch to the Etihad on deadline day as part of a broader summer midfield overhaul by City. Mills believes the fee should be set aside when assessing the deal’s true value.

“I think the Enzo Fernandez signing was really, really important,” Mills said. “(Ayyoub) Bouaddi is a very, very good player, very talented, but he’s very, very young. It’s difficult to go through a full season if it was just him and (Elliot) Anderson in there. You’d be thinking, can they survive the whole season? Is there enough creativity in that midfield?”

Mills, who made 53 appearances for City, pointed to the depth Fernandez creates alongside experienced options already in the squad. “Suddenly you throw Enzo Fernandez into that, and you’ve got the likes of (Mateo) Kovacic, incredibly experienced, to drop in and out as well. Forget about the fee — the quality and depth that he adds to that midfield takes them from possible challengers to definite challengers.”

City have backed up that assessment on the pitch, winning six successive matches across all competitions since a 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal. The early-season form has reinforced the sense that Enzo Fernandez’s influence is already being felt.

One lingering concern for manager Enzo Maresca, however, is the side’s dependence on Erling Haaland, who has scored six goals in the opening weeks of the campaign. Mills acknowledges the Norwegian is irreplaceable in the short term but believes City would act swiftly if he were to pick up an injury.

“You take him out of the team, you lose 30, 40, 50 goals maybe,” Mills said. “But he’s fit, he’s strong, he’s robust. If something did happen, I’m sure there would be a plan, and I’m sure in January they would go again if needed.”