Manchester City have been linked with a transfer bid for star valued at a massive £120m - but could it actually happen?
Manchester City may have bolstered their midfield with the club record signing of Elliot Anderson, but the impending departure of Rodri – who is expected to join Barcelona once a fee can be agreed between the two clubs – means that last year’s Premier League runners-up need to loosen their purse strings once again.
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They may have already picked out their number one target to replace Rodri. The Independent reported on Friday that City are “exploring” an offer for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández. A deal which could prove to be even more expensive than the one involving Anderson. But will it really happen, and what alternatives do Manchester City have should their interest lead nowhere?
Will Manchester City sign Enzo Fernández this summer?
Enzo Fernández cost Chelsea a reported £106m when he signed from Benfica in 2023placeholder image
Enzo Fernández cost Chelsea a reported £106m when he signed from Benfica in 2023 | Getty Images
The Independent aren’t the only media outlet to report Manchester City’s interest in Fernández – several other transfer journalists have corroborated their story, including Gianluca Di Marzio. It certainly seems likely that the option is on the table, at least.
Fernández has returned to Chelsea after making a pantomime villain of himself at the World Cup, but his very public desire to leave the club suggests that he wouldn’t be averse to a transfer, even if City were not his first choice.
Chelsea suspended Fernández for two matches last season after he openly discussed his desire to move to Real Madrid, a decision which led to a brief but acrimonious row between the club, player and his agent. Hopes of a move to Real vanished quickly once they themselves went public with the fact that they weren’t making a bid this summer, but there is still a lingering hangover from that affair. Manchester City could now offer him an escape from a club at which he has burned some bridges.
Chelsea’s valuation of the Argentine is extremely high, and they will be expected to demand a transfer fee of £120m - £4m more than the sum paid for Anderson. That reflects the fact that Fernández still has six years left on his lengthy Chelsea contract, giving Chelsea plenty of leverage in negotiations.
Whether City are prepared to meet that demand – or whether Chelsea might be willing to lower their expectations – remains to be seen. None of the reports suggest that any talks have taken place, only that City are discussing the possibility of reuniting new head coach Enzo Marecsa with one of his former charges from his time at Stamford Bridge.
From Chelsea’s perspective, there is no urgent need to sell. Xabi Alonso is reportedly content to reintegrate Fernández into the squad despite last season’s issues. They are, however, ready to sell for the right price, especially as extra transfer funds will both allow them to press their case to sign Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and to keep themselves on the right side of Premier League and UEFA spending regulations.
Who else could Manchester City sign instead?
Teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed for Morocco at the World Cupplaceholder image
Teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi impressed for Morocco at the World Cup | Getty Images
With a transfer only in the most embryonic stage, it’s almost impossible to determine how likely it is that City get a deal over the line – but they do have some back-up plans should they be unable to land Fernández.
Ayyoub Bouaddi remains a major target. The 18-year-old Lille and Morocco midfielder could set City back as much as £85m but they are huge admirers of his talent and technicality.
It’s not yet clear whether City have the resources or desire to sign both Bouaddi and Fernández, or whether a deal for one would preclude a move for the other – but with Anderson likely to take up the more defensive, anchoring role in Maresca’s midfield, both Bouaddi and Fernández would fit the profile of the more creative, box-to-box style of player who could go alongside the former Nottingham Forest man.
Other players on Manchester City’s radar seem less obtainable as it stands, including Barcelona’s Marc Bernal, who is regarded as untouchable at the Camp Nou, and Real’s Eduardo Camavinga.
Real would happily consider offers for the Frenchman provided they signed a new midfielder – they had been keen to sign Rodri themselves before Barcelona entered the bidding and persuaded the World Cup winning captain to move to Catalonia - but Camavinga has reportedly told the club that he plans to stay and fight for his place under new manager José Mourinho.
One way or the other, the impending departure of Rodri all but guarantees that City will sign a new midfielder to operate alongside Anderson this season, and with the future of Tijjani Reijnders also up in the air they could well sign two to fill the gaps left by sales. Fernández and Bouaddi are the priorities as it stands – whether they sign one, both or neither remains to be seen.