Manchester City have officially completed the signing of midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, securing the Argentina international for a joint-British transfer record fee of £125 million. The 25-year-old, who has earned 49 caps for his country, reunites with manager Enzo Maresca, having previously worked under the Italian during his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
The high-profile transfer pushes Manchester City’s total spending for the current window to a Premier League record of £458 million, eclipsing the £415 million mark set by Liverpool last summer. Despite this significant outlay, the club has also generated approximately £300 million through player sales during the same period.
This deal marks the second time in two months that City have shattered their own transfer record, following the £116 million arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in July. Fernandez is now the fourth player to command a fee of at least £100 million this summer, joining a list that includes Morgan Rogers’ £117 million move to Chelsea, Bradley Barcola’s £123 million transfer to Liverpool, and the aforementioned Anderson deal.
The transfer concludes a period of intense negotiation between the two clubs, which reached an agreement on Tuesday after 24 hours of discussions. Chelsea had previously attempted to resolve uncertainty surrounding the player by setting a 17:00 BST deadline on 14 August for bids of £120 million or more.
Fernandez’s departure follows a tumultuous period at Chelsea. After being linked with a potential move to Real Madrid earlier in the summer, he faced criticism from supporters, including being booed during a friendly against Real Sociedad and his substitute appearance in the Premier League opener against Fulham. He was subsequently omitted from the squad for recent matches against Brighton and Luton, with reports from Argentina suggesting he had requested to be left out.
In an open letter posted to Instagram, Fernandez addressed his exit, stating, “I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place.” He expressed his obsession with winning trophies since arriving at the club, adding that Chelsea would “always be in my heart” and acknowledging that he would likely feel the same way as the fans if he were in their position.
Looking ahead to his new chapter, Fernandez expressed enthusiasm for the move. “I could not be happier to be here, and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies. This is a club built for success,” he told the club’s official website.
He added that he intends to learn from his new teammates and continue his development. “I give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I’m here,” he stated.
Fernandez originally joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for a then-British record fee of £107 million. His latest move matches the £125 million fee Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak on deadline day last summer. The report also notes that as reports in Argentina suggested he asked to be left out of, the 25-year-old was not involved in Chelsea’s 4-3 Premier League win over Brighton on Sunday or their 2-0 Carabao Cup victory against Luton three days earlier.
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