Chelsea set deadline for Manchester City offers for Enzo Fernandez

By Joel Kavanagh — 14 August 2026 — 4 min read

Chelsea’s Deadline for Fernandez Offers

Chelsea has set a deadline of Friday at 17:00 BST for any offers for midfielder Enzo Fernandez, with Manchester City reportedly interested. The London club values the Argentine at £120m. As of Friday morning, Chelsea had not yet received a bid from City for Fernandez. The transfer window is scheduled to close on Tuesday, 1 September.

The potential move could see Fernandez reunite with City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, who previously managed him at Chelsea. Maresca, when asked about imminent transfer business on Friday, stated he did not expect any deals to be concluded that day. Chelsea’s decision to impose this deadline aims to prevent distractions for their new manager, Xabi Alonso, and the squad as they focus on the upcoming season.

Chelsea’s stance is that if City does not meet their demands by the deadline, they do not intend to sell Fernandez during the current transfer window or the winter window. The club views this as a win-win situation, either retaining the player or securing a substantial fee.

Potential Rodri Exit and City’s Midfield Plans

A potential transfer for Fernandez appears to be linked to the future of City’s Spanish midfielder, Rodri. City are reportedly not planning to sign Fernandez if Rodri remains at the club. Rodri has been a key player for City, contributing to their success, including their 2022-23 Treble, where he scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan. He has lifted four league titles and several cups with City.

Rodri is reportedly seeking a return to Spain, with Barcelona pursuing him. City is asking for 80m euros (£68.4m) for the player, who is in the final year of his contract. Barcelona’s initial bid was reported to be around £38.5m, which was rejected, and they are expected to raise their offer to between £50m (€60m) and £60m (€70m). The potential departure of Rodri would enable City to make a bid for Fernandez, though the deals do not necessarily need to happen simultaneously.

City has already made a significant midfield signing this summer, bringing in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m. Anderson, like Fernandez, can play in various midfield roles. City is also in talks with Lille for another defensive midfielder, Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Fernandez’s Relationship with Chelsea and Maresca

Fernandez’s relationship with Chelsea reportedly deteriorated following Maresca’s departure from the club in January. Maresca had made Fernandez Chelsea captain when Reece James was injured and played him in a significant number of his games in charge. While Fernandez is naturally a defensive midfielder, Maresca often deployed him further forward, which led to Fernandez scoring a career-best 15 goals last season when Cole Palmer was injured.

In March, Fernandez publicly criticised Chelsea after a significant defeat in the Champions League and expressed a desire to move to Madrid. These comments led to him being dropped for two matches by Chelsea. Real Madrid later released a statement denying any intention to sign Fernandez, leaving City as the primary contenders for his signature.

The deadline set by Chelsea is considered arbitrary, as the official transfer deadline is on Tuesday, 1 September, at 23:00 BST. However, Chelsea insiders suggest that if City does not make a move by Friday, the opportunity will be lost, and Fernandez will remain at the club until next summer. Clubs have been known to adhere to their self-imposed deadlines, as demonstrated by Manchester United‘s experience with Borussia Dortmund over Jadon Sancho in 2020.

Financial Implications and Club Relations

If Fernandez were to join City for £120m, it would rank as the fourth-largest transfer in football history, placing two of the summer’s biggest signings with City. Fernandez himself moved to Chelsea from Benfica in February 2023 for £107m. A deal for Fernandez would push City’s summer spending past £250m, following other acquisitions including Pierce Charles, Jeremy Monga, Mathys Detourbet, and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. For 2026, their total spending would approach £350m, including January signings Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi for £82.5m.

City has also seen significant player departures, with Bernardo Silva and John Stones leaving on free transfers, and James Trafford sold to Leeds for up to £45m. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is also set to join Al-Qadsiah in a £52m deal. Chelsea has also been active in the transfer market, breaking their club record to sign Morgan Rogers for £117m from Aston Villa, and their spending has exceeded £300m this summer. Selling Fernandez would take Chelsea’s sales total beyond £250m.

Relations between City and Chelsea are reportedly strained due to the circumstances surrounding Maresca’s departure from Chelsea and subsequent move to City. Maresca resigned from Chelsea on 1 January, with City paying Chelsea £17m in compensation to appoint him. This mid-season exit was disruptive for Chelsea and led to a legal dispute between the clubs.

Source: bbc.co.uk