Manchester City have pulled off by far the biggest deal of transfer deadline day, signing Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125million to reunite him with Enzo Maresca
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea looks on ahead of the Premier League 2026/27 match between Fulham and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Manchester City have waited until the last minute to complete the deal that everyone saw coming. Enzo Fernandez has officially left Chelsea to be reunited with Enzo Maresca in Manchester.
City have agreed to pay a £125million transfer fee, which makes Fernandez the joint-most expensive player in Premier League history, alongside Alexander Isak, who left Newcastle for Liverpool last summer. Fernandez is no stranger to a record fee, having only joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for £107m, which was then a British record.
Fernandez's exit from Stamford Bridge has long been expected. He was dropped for two games by Liam Rosenior in April after openly flirting with Real Madrid during the international break and was booed by a section of the home crowd last month, following his involvement in Argentina's controversial World Cup campaign.
Despite his contentious nature, Fernandez retains a strong relationship with Maresca, who left Chelsea under a cloud on New Year's Day. Maresca has pushed for his arrival at City following the departures of four midfielders.
Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez and Bernardo Silva have all left City for pastures new this summer, leaving an obvious void that needed to be filled, despite Elliot Anderson's £116m arrival from Nottingham Forest and Ayoub Bouaddi joining from Lille for £86m.
The hefty transfer fee sees Fernandez top the list of massive transfers this summer, ahead of Bradley Barcola (£123m from Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (£117m from Aston Villa to Chelsea) and Anderson (£116m from Nottingham Forest to City).
His move also means that seven of the top 10 deals this summer have involved Premier League sides selling to one another. That reflects the fact that the Premier League is further pulling away from the other top European leagues in terms of financial weight.
Elliot Anderson of Manchester City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium
Enzo Fernandez will form a midfield partnership with Elliot Anderson worth £241m(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
In the age of profit and sustainability rules (PSR), we are also seeing a shift from clubs refusing to sell to rivals to certain clubs develop trading relationships with each other.
'Mind-blowing deal'
The Enzo Fernandez deal feels mind-blowing because he has hardly set the world alight with his performances for Chelsea since his £106m move in January 2023. But Chelsea stand to make a tidy profit from the £125m record fee from Manchester City.
Fernandez also helped them win a European trophy, get back in the Champions League and lift the Club World Cup.
He played his best football under Enzo Maresca so that link-up will be key for his performances at City. And at the heart of this deal is that relationship. Fernandez had his heart set on playing for Maresca again which is a feather in the cap for the new City boss.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 13: Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea and Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, embrace after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on December 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Enzo Maresca will be reunited with Enzo Fernandez at Manchester City(Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
There was serious interest from other clubs this summer because, while he may not always get huge appreciation in the Premier League, he is a World Cup winner with a remarkable mentality.
Fernandez will have to use that mental strength to overcome some of the barracking after the last World Cup and also the spotlight that a huge fee brings.
He flirted with Real Madrid last season which was quickly killed by the Spanish giants. But as soon as City showed interest this summer, he had his heart set on that switch.
The contract is expected to take him until 2032 in whatever form but the personal terms were clearly never going to be an issue.
Join our WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.