Manchester City have confirmed that club record £125 million signing Enzo Fernandez will wear the number 17 shirt, with the Argentina international revealing a deeply personal reason behind the choice.
What can Manchester City fans expect from club record £125M signing Enzo Fernandez?
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The 25-year-old completed his move from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, signing a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium until June 2031 to become the club's most expensive signing in their history, surpassing the £116 million paid for Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest earlier in the summer.
Fernandez spent three-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge following a January 2023 move from Benfica, winning the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup and establishing himself as one of the Premier League's most influential midfielders before his relationship with sections of the Chelsea support grew strained in the final months of his time at the club.
His reunion with Enzo Maresca, who managed him during his tenure at Stamford Bridge, was a significant driver of the transfer from the City manager's perspective, and Fernandez's own desire to continue working under the Italian played a key role in bringing the deal to a conclusion before Tuesday's 11pm [UK] deadline.
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Argentina international Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea in a deal worth £125 million.cityxtra.co.ukManchester City have confirmed the signing of Argentina international Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea in a deal worth £125 million.
Manchester City Confirm Club Record £125 Million Signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea
The shirt number confirmation adds one more layer of story to what has already been one of the most discussed transfers of the window, with Fernandez revealing the unexpected source of inspiration behind the choice of number 17.
Fernandez: I read a verse and it really touched my heart
Speaking via official Manchester City media, Fernandez addressed the significance and the origins of his new squad number. "It doesn't have any special meaning to me, but I'm a great believer in God," said Fernandez.
"I read the Bible and while I was reading the Bible, the transfer was happening and I was reading a verse, it really touched my heart, so I felt that was the way to go."
As the transfer deadline passes, here is a comprehensive round-up of every single deal completed by Hugo Viana and Manchester City across the summer of 2026.cityxtra.co.uk40 Man City Transfers Completed in the 2026 Summer Window - Full List
As the transfer deadline passes, here is a comprehensive round-up of every single deal completed by Hugo Viana and Manchester City across the summer of 2026.
The explanation reframes what might otherwise have been a routine squad number announcement into something considerably more intimate, a player settling into a new city and a new club, drawing strength from faith at a moment of significant professional change.
What Fernandez's arrival means for Manchester City's midfield
Fernandez becomes the third major midfield addition of City's summer alongside Anderson and Bouaddi from Lille, giving Maresca a central midfield group of striking depth to contest four competitions in the 2026-27 season.
Those arrivals have been offset by the departures of Rodri to Barcelona, Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah, Bernardo Silva at the expiry of his contract and Nico Gonzalez on a permanent basis, a wholesale reshaping of the engine room that makes Fernandez's presence all the more central to what Maresca is building.
A new report has outlined the reasoning behind Enzo Maresca's pursuit of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea after the Argentinian completed a £125 million move to Manchester City on deadline day.cityxtra.co.ukRevealed: Why Enzo Maresca Was Desperate to Sign Enzo Fernandez at Manchester City
A new report has outlined the reasoning behind Enzo Maresca's pursuit of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea after the Argentinian completed a £125 million move to Manchester City on deadline day.
His 57 Argentina caps, his World Cup and Copa America experience, and the quality he demonstrated across three years in the Premier League all point to a player arriving at the Etihad Stadium in the prime of a career that has already delivered major silverware on multiple fronts.