Man City restart talks with Chelsea over Enzo Fernandez - what happens next?

Updated: 26 Aug 2026 15:55 BST | 5 min read

Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea, Man City — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Manchester City are confident of agreeing a deal for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the window shuts next week.

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One of the strangest and most drawn-out transfer sagas of the summer could be coming to a conclusion that suits all parties before long. Fernandez, who initially wanted to join Real Madrid, is now pushing for a move to Man City.

Two weeks ago, the Etihad club received a clear message from Chelsea: pay €140 million by Friday or forget about Fernandez. However, City called the Blues' bluff - no offer materialised before that deadline, and all parties seem to be in agreement that a deal remains possible.

Current ETV

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

Enzo Fernández

M, DM (C)

Chelsea

ETV Range

€83.3M - €101.8M

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has been unable to guarantee that Fernandez will still be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge come next week, and there is now a consensus that Man City will make a formal offer shortly.

According to Ben Jacobs, discussions between Man City and Chelsea have already restarted. TEAMtalk goes a step further and claims that City will make a €140m bid in the "coming hours." The same had already been reported in Argentina the day prior.

Fernandez move becoming more concrete

It's no secret that Fernandez is keen on the move to City. He wants to reunite with his former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca and play in the Champions League. Personal terms will not be an issue, as reported by FootballTransfers earlier this month.

The question is whether Chelsea are willing to play ball for the reported fee of €140m, given everything that has happened between the two clubs over the past 10 or so months.

City derailed the Blues' season when they approached Maresca over the coaching job late last year, but the latter got payback when they managed to get €20m in compensation for the Italian.

The elapsed deadline two weeks ago added more tension to this already strained relationship, but City are nevertheless confident that they will be able to agree a deal for Fernandez.

It is expected that they will either have to pay more than €140m or offer Chelsea some really enticing payment terms. Despite the expensive signings of Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi, the Cityzens should still have money to spend after selling numerous players for huge fees.

If City indeed make a fresh bid today or in the coming days, there is no guarantee that it will be accepted straight away, but it will likely move negotiations closer to a positive conclusion - unless Chelsea's revised demands prove unreasonable.

Even if the Stamford Bridge outfit are reluctant sellers, they seem to have resigned themselves to the fact that there is no point keeping Fernandez, who has been booed by sections of the club's fanbase when he's been on the pitch in recent fixtures.

© IMAGO - Enzo Maresca and Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea

One crucial aspect of the discussions will be Chelsea's ability to source a replacement in the final days of the window, although the aforementioned Jacobs suggests that the Blues may not sign a like-for-like successor to Fernandez.

Should Pedro Neto also be sold - which currently seems unlikely, but it's not impossible - Chelsea could dip into the market for a creative attacker rather than a midfielder in the mould of Fernandez.

Indeed, the Argentine has been playing his best football when used as a more attack-minded midfielder, but there is now an acceptance that Chelsea probably do not need this midfield profile after signing Morgan Rogers.

Alex Scott is one player Chelsea are huge admirers of, but Sky Sports reports that Bournemouth will rebuff any bids that come in for him this summer, having already knocked back an offer from the Blues earlier in the window.

Clearly, there are still a lot of moving parts in this saga, but what seems certain is that City will give signing Fernandez a proper go before next week's deadline - and they are optimistic that their efforts will be rewarded.