Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is set to join Manchester City
Enzo Fernandez's move from Chelsea to Man City equalled the British transfer fee record [Peter Cziborra/Reuters]
Manchester City equalled the British transfer fee record for a player when they signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea on deadline day for deals in Europe.
The 25-year-old Argentina international, who was part of his country’s team that reached the 2026 World Cup final, had long been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
The deal, however, was stretched to the final few minutes of the summer transfer window, which shut at 2200 GMT on Tuesday.
City confirmed the deal with a video on social media platform, X, with the fee matching the £125 million ($169m) that Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.
The deal seemed to be agreed between the clubs hours before the window shut, allowing for the player to complete a medical, but doubts about the deal started to emerge with the clock ticking on the deadline.
Fernandez himself had taken to his page on the social media platform Instagram, ahead of the deadline on Tuesday to bid farewell to Chelsea fans.
“I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place,” Fernandez wrote in a message directed to fans of the London club.
“Three years ago, Cobham (the club’s training ground) and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family.
“Believe me when I say that, from the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves.
“We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones.”
Fernandez was part of the Chelsea side that one the UEFA Conference League in 2025 before going on to claim the expanded FIFA Club World Cup that year.
City boss Enzo Maresca worked with Fernandez at Chelsea before taking on the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.
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The Italian was a driving force behind the deal to land Fernandez after the recent sale of influential World Cup winner Rodri to Barcelona, as well as the departures of fellow midfielders Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders.
The 25-year-old will partner England international Elliot Anderson and Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi in City’s revamped central midfield at a cost of over £300 million ($405.4m).
“Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well-run City are,” said Fernandez in his statement released by City upon competition of the deal.
“This is a club built for success. If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player.”
Fernandez, who signed for Chelsea from Benfica for £106 million ($143.2m) in 2023, angered the Blues last season by expressing interest in joining Real Madrid and was dropped for two matches as a result.
He scored twice in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, including a stunning strike against England in the semi-final.
But his tournament ended with a red card in the final as Argentina were beaten 1-0 to miss out on retaining their status as world champions.
“He is a complete midfielder: technically gifted, hardworking, tenacious and a goalscorer,” said City’s director of football Hugo Viana.
“To have played in two World Cup finals and won major trophies in multiple countries at just 25 says everything you need to know about his mentality, professionalism and technical quality.
“We are delighted to bring him here and feel very strongly he will improve our team.”