Manchester City confirm Enzo Fernandez arrival in £125m deadline-day deal

Manchester City have completed the signing of Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m after the deal was agreed in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

City announced the move in the early hours of Wednesday, confirming that the 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract. The club marked the arrival on social media with the message: “Introducing our new Argentinian Blue 🇦🇷🩵”.

The transfer reportedly matches the Premier League record for the most expensive deal in the competition’s history, previously set by Liverpool when they signed Alexander Isak, according to The Sun.

Fernandez’s move was confirmed less than two hours after City announced the signing of winger Iliman Ndiaye from Everton in a deal worth a total of £65m.

The midfielder completed his medical before agreeing a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium, where he will reunite with his former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. Maresca took charge of Manchester City in the summer after Pep Guardiola’s departure.

City began direct negotiations with Chelsea on Monday, but talks accelerated as the transfer deadline approached and the clubs worked to complete the agreement in time.

Fernandez had been pushing to leave Chelsea since March, while Maresca considered him an important addition to City’s midfield. That need was heightened by the departures of several players in the position during the summer.

Chelsea had previously expected Fernandez to remain at the club after setting 14 August as the deadline for receiving offers of at least £120m. City did not submit a bid by that date, but the situation changed as the closing of the transfer window drew nearer.

Speaking to Manchester City’s official website after signing, Fernandez said: “Manchester City is the most successful club in England in recent years. Every player wants to be part of a club like this, because everyone knows how good the management at Manchester City is.”

He added: “I couldn’t be happier to be here and I’m ready for the challenge of helping the team continue to win trophies. It’s a club built for success. If you look at the make-up of the team, there is quality in every position. I want to learn from my new team-mates and become a better player.”

Fernandez also said: “I’m always looking to improve my game. Everyone who has worked with me knows how hard I work in training every day and how much I give during matches. I give everything I have, and I can promise Manchester City that I will continue to do that now that I have joined the club.”

The Argentina international thanked “Hugo, Enzo, Khaldoon and everyone at Manchester City who made this deal possible”, adding that he wanted to repay the faith shown in him and prove his value as soon as possible.

He later posted an emotional farewell to Chelsea supporters on social media, describing the period before his departure from Stamford Bridge as difficult.

“I want you to know that these days have not been easy for me, and writing these words is not easy either. The truth is that I have not been in a good place,” he wrote.

“Three years ago, Cobham and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family. I became attached to the people, the shirt and the badge of this wonderful club.”

Fernandez continued: “Thank you for all the love and support you have given me and my family over these years. I will never forget it. This group will give you many more reasons to be happy, and I will be happy for you too, never doubt that.”

He concluded: “You will always remain in my heart, Blues fans. I will always wish you the very best. Always blue. Thank you, Chelsea.”

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso had remained largely non-committal on Fernandez’s future when asked about the possibility of the player leaving after he was omitted from the squad for a match.

“We will see. We want what is best for the team, and that is why we made our decisions. Whatever may happen before Tuesday evening, we have to be aware of it,” Alonso said.

“We are not sure. We are preparing for all scenarios, but I am confident that whatever happens, we will have a good enough team to compete in all Premier League matches from Wednesday.”

Fernandez had previously criticised Chelsea’s management after Maresca was dismissed in January, saying he was unhappy that the coach had been removed during the season.

“I don’t understand it. Sometimes there are things that we players do not understand, and how and in what way they are trying to manage things,” he said.

“Obviously, his departure hurt us a lot, especially in the middle of the season, because it cuts everything off. We had an identity, and he gave us a clear system, even though football has good moments and bad moments.”

Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for £106m, a fee that represented a British transfer record at the time. During his spell at Stamford Bridge, he helped the club win the UEFA Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The player and his agent, former Argentina international Javier Pastore, made Fernandez’s desire to leave public during the summer. He was also linked with Real Madrid, although the Spanish club later released a statement confirming it was not seeking to complete the transfer.

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