Chelsea recruit Jorge Mendes to solve €140m transfer problem

17 Aug 2026 17:03 BST | 4 min read

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

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Despite last week's deadline, the Enzo Fernandez saga continues to rumble on, with Manchester City still determined to sign the wantaway Chelsea midfielder.

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The Argentina international returned to the pitch for the Blues in a friendly against Real Sociedad on Saturday, but he did not receive a particularly positive reception. Fernandez was booed by large sections of the crowd due to his well-documented desire to leave the club.

Despite his public flirting with a transfer to Real Madrid towards the end of last season, Fernandez has not been stripped of his vice-captaincy, which only made Saturday's event more awkward as he pulled on the armband despite much rather being somewhere else.

Current ETV

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€83.3M - €101.8M

With Real Madrid out of the picture, Fernandez has been strongly linked with a move to Man City, where his former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly desperate to sign him. FootballTransfers revealed last week that personal terms with the Cityzens are in place.

The transfer fee is the main stumbling block, with Chelsea demanding an eye-watering €140 million for the midfielder. Keen to finalise their squad planning, the Blues set a deadline for last Friday by which Man City had to meet their asking price - but nothing happened.

Chelsea hire Mendes to solve Fernandez problem

City refused to play Chelsea's game, and for good reason. They hadn't yet finalised the sale of Rodri to Barcelona and were not in a position to offer €140m for Fernandez.

While Chelsea insist that the matter is now closed and that Fernandez is going nowhere, City believe that there is still a deal to be done. According to AS, the Manchester club are still doing "whatever it takes" to land the Argentine.

Throughout this transfer saga, Chelsea have publicly insisted that Fernandez is not for sale, but the Spanish outlet points out that this is nothing but posturing. The Blues are keen to resolve the situation, even via a sale if necessary

It is claimed that, in order to unblock this impasse, Chelsea have employed the help of superagent Jorge Mendes. The experienced negotiator has been brought in to "expedite the Argentine's departure."

Mendes played a crucial role in Chelsea's signing of Fernandez back in January 2023, which is why they have now brought him back into the fold, even though he does not represent the player.

Mendes is said to be in contact with former PSG star Javier Pastore, who represents Fernandez. It is unclear how exactly this could influence proceedings, but it is ostensibly evidence that Chelsea have not yet completely closed the door to a transfer.

If this saga doesn't culminate in a move, Mendes could perhaps look to convince Fernandez to agree to a new Chelsea deal. Pastore revealed earlier this year that the player was disappointed with the contract offer he had received from the Blues.

Perhaps common ground could be found if Mendes acts as a mediator. Right now, though, the task at hand is to secure a transfer that benefits all parties.