Manchester City completed a £125 million deadline-day move for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, while Xabi Alonso’s side were left furious after Monaco unexpectedly abandoned a deal for Lamine Camara, the player lined up as his replacement.
Fernandez’s transfer matches the British record Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer. The agreement is worth a guaranteed £125 million, with no add-ons, for the 25-year-old Argentina international, who had been Enzo Maresca’s leading target during the window.
The sale helped push Chelsea’s summer income close to £500 million, a figure club sources believe also represents a British record. However, they completed the deal without securing a replacement for Fernandez.
Chelsea believed Camara was bound for Stamford Bridge after agreeing a £47 million transfer with Monaco with fewer than two hours of deadline day remaining. The situation changed dramatically, though, as Monaco withdrew from the agreement while the 11pm deadline drew closer, leaving the Blues shocked and angry.
According to Chelsea sources, the clubs had reached a complete written agreement for Camara’s transfer. But after Monaco reopened negotiations over Folarin Balogun’s proposed move to Everton, Chelsea were informed that the deal for Camara had been cancelled.
People inside Stamford Bridge described Monaco’s conduct as an exceptionally unprofessional way to handle transfer negotiations.
Chelsea were therefore left without cover for Fernandez. Club sources said they could have blocked his move to City after learning of Monaco’s reversal, but they had already given their word to their Premier League rivals. Unlike Monaco, Chelsea chose to honour its agreement.
Much of Chelsea’s deadline day had been spent pursuing Camara. Monaco rejected two earlier offers, worth £38.5 million and £42.9 million, before accepting a third proposal.
Enzo Fernandez completed a huge deadline-day transfer to Manchester City
Speaking to Chelsea supporters in a statement released as news of the transfer emerged, Fernandez said: ‘Chelsea will always have a place in my thoughts and, above all, in my heart. But I also understand how football works. I know how passionate you are, because I am the same. And if I were in your position, I would probably be thinking the same way.’
Because City waited until the final two days of the transfer window to advance negotiations with Chelsea, the London club had precious little time to find another midfielder.
Fernandez’s close relationship with Maresca played an important role in Chelsea’s decision to approve the move. The pair were keen to work together again, while Fernandez had already shown an interest in leaving before the previous season had ended.
With Fernandez and Camara both unavailable, and Dario Essugo heading to Strasbourg on loan, Chelsea’s senior midfield choices are now Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson. Malo Gusto is another option in the centre if needed. Fernandez had developed a knack for scoring decisive goals, but Xabi Alonso can call on a formidable attack after signing Morgan Rogers for £117 million this summer to join Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro in the front three.
After an increasingly draining transfer saga, Chelsea supporters may at least welcome the fact that the uncertainty has finally come to an end.
Chelsea had initially tried to force a swift resolution by setting a 5pm deadline on Friday August 14 for bids. Their asking price was £120 million, and the terms were passed to their Premier League counterparts through Fernandez’s representatives, led by Javier Pastore. The club hoped the approach would leave enough time to recruit a replacement for their 2022 World Cup-winning midfielder.
City did not accept Chelsea’s timetable, however. No offer arrived, and sources at Stamford Bridge said they ‘expected’ Fernandez to remain at the club throughout the 2026-27 season.
Fernandez was even named captain when he came on as a substitute during Chelsea’s final home friendly against Real Sociedad, although his reception at Stamford Bridge was mixed.
Chelsea were enraged by Monaco’s handling of Lamine Camara’s proposed transfer
Fernandez was booed by supporters on his return to the Premier League after Argentina’s World Cup taunts
Fernandez came off the bench in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham. Home supporters at Craven Cottage booed him in response to Argentina’s conduct at the World Cup, but Chelsea’s travelling fans backed him, warmly chanting his name from the away end.
Fernandez continued to train with his team-mates and in Alonso’s main squad rather than the second group including Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson, but then disappeared.
Following talks with Alonso, he was not involved in their Carabao Cup win over Luton, or in their Premier League victory against Brighton. Alonso insisted publicly it was his decision after speaking with the player, but did add he selected a squad that had the ‘desire to play’.
Maresca had a good relationship with Fernandez at Chelsea, where he often wore the captain’s armband in the absence of James. Maresca also handed him that armband barely a month after the Argentinian was accused of singing a racist song following his country’s 2024 Copa America triumph. That was in Chelsea’s Premier League opener at home to City.
When Maresca eventually exited Chelsea after speaking with City about succeeding Pep Guardiola, Fernandez was among those who spoke up, suggesting it ‘hurt’ the team. The Blues ended up finishing 10th in that season, leaving them with no European football under Alonso for this term.
