Man City push to sign Enzo Fernandez within days as Chelsea demand £120m

Manchester City are pushing to complete the signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez this week, according to Italian transfer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, with Chelsea demanding £120m (€140m) for the 25-year-old Argentina international.

Di Marzio reports that City are working through the formalities of a move to bring Fernandez to the Etihad Stadium, with the player himself keen on the transfer. City are also said to be in separate talks with Newcastle United over a deal for Nico Gonzalez, which would see the midfielder move to the North East.

Chelsea had previously set a deadline of 5pm on Friday, 14 August for any club to agree a fee for Fernandez, a figure that had been agreed in principle with his agent, Javier Pastore. No deal was struck before that cut-off, and Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso was unequivocal in his public stance ahead of the club’s Premier League opener against Fulham.

“Enzo is a Chelsea player. He’s a top, top player,” Alonso said. “He’s training really well. We are happy with him and he’s getting ready for Monday.”

Alonso’s predecessor, Enzo Maresca — now understood to be the figure Fernandez is keen to reunite with at City — had similarly deflected questions about the midfielder’s future throughout the summer. “He is a player from another club and I don’t think it’s correct to talk about other players,” Maresca said when pressed on the speculation.

Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a British transfer record fee of around £107m. His potential departure, if completed at £120m, would represent a modest profit on that outlay but would strip Chelsea of one of their most high-profile midfield assets.

City, meanwhile, opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 comeback victory over Bournemouth, while Chelsea’s season begins against Fulham with Fernandez’s long-term future still unresolved.