Manchester City have agreed a deal to complete the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea on deadline day, according to new reports.
What can Manchester City fans expect from club record £116M signing Elliot Anderson?
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Fernandez emerged as a top target for the Blues in the closing weeks of the summer transfer window, with City manager Enzo Maresca spearheading the club's interest in the Argentina international.
Manchester City have conducted a full sweep rebuild of their midfield following Pep Guardiola's departure, with Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez leaving.
Elliot Anderson was brought in from Nottingham Forest for a club record £116 million fee, with Ayyoub Bouaddi also joining from Lille for £85 million and making his debut off the bench in last week's 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in London.
City have approached this window with an aggressive pro-sale stance, leaving it till very close to deadline day to announce the signing of Allan Elias from Palmeiras as a replacement for Savinho, who joined Tottenham for £85 million.
Iliman Ndiaye has also agreed to join Manchester City from Everton to fill the void left by Omar Marmoush's season-long loan move to Tottenham - after City's pursuit of Cody Gakpo fell through on Monday.
City agree deal to sign Fernandez from Chelsea
As reported by The Times' Paul Hirst and Peter Rutzler, Manchester City have reached an agreement over the outline of a deal for Fernandez to swap Stamford Bridge for the Etihad Stadium on deadline day.
The deal will be worth £120 million plus add-ons, with Fernandez reported to be 'desperate' to move to Manchester City to reunite with Maresca.
The Argentinian is also described as 'confident' that his move will be completed before Tuesday's 11pm [UK] deadline.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has subsequently reported that City have agreed a deal worth over £125 million for Fernandez, who is set to undergo a medical in the next few hours.
David Ornstein of The Athletic has reported that City's agreement with Chelsea is for £125 million, matching the British record fee set by Liverpool when they signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United last summer.
Gastón Edul has added that Fernandez will sign a six-year contract at Manchester City, which will keep him at the Etihad Stadium till the summer of 2032.
What is next for Fernandez and Man City?
Fernandez is set to undergo a medical in Manchester later on Tuesday as Manchester City complete the necessary paperwork to register the 25-year-old before the 11pm UK deadline.
If the transfer is completed, Maresca will have secured arguably his most important midfield target in his early Manchester City tenure, with Fernandez representing a player he has previously managed and gotten the best out of at Chelsea.
Fernandez is expected to make his Manchester City debut against Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, with Bouaddi also in line to make his first start in sky blue.
A midfield roster of Anderson, Bouaddi, Mateo Kovacic, Fernandez, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden, Nico O'Reilly and potentially Marc Guehi would mean Manchester City are in a very good place to stake a claim for some form of silverware this season, whilst being at a nascent stage of their revamp under Maresca.
Maresca will be asked to reflect on City's transfer window when he previews the upcoming Premier League fixture against Coventry City on Friday, having pushed for the signing of Fernandez behind the scenes for weeks.