Enzo Fernández leaves Chelsea for Manchester City in record-breaking transfer
Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández is leaving Chelsea after three and a half years to join Manchester City in one of the most expensive transfers in football history, though sources differ on the exact fee.
Move to Manchester
Argentina international midfielder Enzo Fernández (25) is leaving Premier League side Chelsea to become a new Manchester City player on the final day of the transfer window. Sources give slightly different figures for the deal: VAVEL reports that City paid Chelsea 145 million euros, while Infobae, at the time of writing, said the agreement was still only preliminary, with an expected fee of around 140 million euros pending Fernández's medical examination. According to VAVEL, the player will sign a contract until 2032.
At Manchester City, Fernández will reunite with Enzo Maresca, who coached Chelsea last season before taking over as City manager, succeeding Pep Guardiola.
From River Plate's academy to Chelsea captain
Fernández came through the youth ranks at Argentina's River Plate. Following an outstanding 2022 World Cup, where he won the Best Young Player award, he was signed by Chelsea for 121 million euros. Over three and a half years at Chelsea, where he served as captain, he made 170 appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 30 assists.
Discontent and boos from fans
After Maresca's dismissal in January, shortly after winning the Club World Cup, Fernández criticized Chelsea's management in an interview with TUDN, saying players do not always understand the club's decisions. Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Fernández was booed every time he touched the ball after coming on in the 65th minute against Fulham in the season opener, replacing Romeo Lavia; Chelsea won 3-2. He was left out of the squad for the following matches against Luton and Brighton. Alonso declined to directly confirm the player's future.
Rebuilding City's midfield
The signing is part of a broader overhaul of Manchester City's midfield this summer — the club sold Rodri to Barcelona for 75 million euros and Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah for 61 million euros, while bringing in Elliot Anderson and Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi. Chelsea, according to Infobae, are reportedly looking to replace Fernández with Roma midfielder Manu Koné.
If the fee is confirmed at around 145 million euros, it would match Liverpool's deal for Alexander Isak last year and become the most expensive transfer in English football history; if closer to 140 million, it would rank behind Neymar (222 million euros, PSG, 2017), Kylian Mbappé (180 million, PSG) and Ousmane Dembélé (148 million, Barcelona) among the most expensive transfers ever.
