Manchester City agree record £125m Enzo Fernandez transfer fee with Chelsea

Manchester City and Chelsea have struck an agreement for the transfer of Enzo Fernandez for £125 million. The Argentine midfielder is set to swap Stamford Bridge for the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the summer window, and his arrival will equal the British record set by Liverpool when they signed Alexander Isak last summer. The move puts the 25-year-old among the most expensive footballers of all time.

• City will pay £125 million, matching the British record set for Alexander Isak.
• Fernandez sat out Chelsea's last two games while pushing for a move away.
• The deal takes City's summer spending to around £430 million.
• Chelsea are targeting Manu Kone of Roma and Monaco's Lamine Camara as replacements.
• Fernandez leaves Chelsea with 31 goals in 170 appearances since joining in January 2023.

A deal that matches the Alexander Isak British transfer record

The fee agreed between the two English clubs is £125 million, the same amount Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak and the highest ever paid by a British side until now. The move makes Enzo Fernandez one of the most expensive signings in world football and the biggest arrival Manchester City have completed in the current market.

The end of Enzo Fernandez's Chelsea spell

The Argentine missed Chelsea's last two matches while his future remained unresolved. In his most recent appearance for the club, the 3-2 win over Fulham, he was booed by both sets of supporters, an episode that strengthened his desire to move on. The London club had set 14 August as a deadline for bids, but City submitted their offer on the final day of the transfer window.

City close a summer of historic midfield spending

Fernandez is not the only major investment City have made this summer. Pep Guardiola's side had already broken their transfer record with the £116 million arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. That figure is topped up by the £85 million paid for Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, making the midfield a clear priority for the club's project.

With Fernandez and Ndiaye, City's total spending this summer would sit at around £430 million.

The Manchester club is also negotiating the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for an initial £60 million. If both deals are completed, City's outlay will exceed £430 million in a single window, a figure that underlines the aggressive approach the team has taken to rebuilding its squad.

Chelsea search for a replacement in midfield

As Fernandez's exit moves closer, Chelsea have already started working on a replacement. Manu Kone, the Roma midfielder, is on their list, as is Lamine Camara of Monaco. The club's sporting department wants to secure a dependable option quickly to avoid weakening a crucial area of the team.

A departure shaped by Enzo Maresca's sacking

Fernandez's relationship with Chelsea cooled significantly after the club dismissed Enzo Maresca as head coach. The Argentine international openly criticised the decision and stayed in touch with the Italian after he left Stamford Bridge. That episode opened a rift that has proved decisive in this outcome.

Frequently asked questions about the Enzo Fernandez transfer