Chelsea approves sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125 million on deadline day

Chelsea have sanctioned the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City for £125 million on the final day of the summer transfer window, turning a player they signed just three and a half years ago into a club-record departure and a cool £18 million profit on the books.

The fee matches the British transfer record set by Liverpool’s acquisition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

How the deal came together

Chelsea initially slapped a £120 million valuation on Fernandez and set a self-imposed deadline of 5pm UK time on August 14 for interested parties to submit bids. That deadline came and went without a completed deal.

Manchester City, however, weren’t done. After failing to land other midfield targets over the course of the summer, Pep Guardiola’s side circled back to Fernandez with renewed urgency as September 1 approached. Negotiations accelerated in the final days, and City ultimately agreed to exceed Chelsea’s original asking price by £5 million to get it done.

Fernandez himself had made his desire to leave clear, and Chelsea permitted him to undergo a medical examination ahead of the transfer’s completion.

Fernandez’s time at Chelsea by the numbers

The Argentine arrived at Stamford Bridge in January 2023 from Benfica for £107 million, a fee that made him the most expensive signing in British football history at the time. He was 22 years old, fresh off winning the World Cup with Argentina.

Over 170 appearances in blue, Fernandez contributed 31 goals and 30 assists.

Chelsea’s summer of selling

The Fernandez sale pushes Chelsea’s total income from player sales this summer past the £400 million mark, a record amount for the club.

As of the window’s close on September 1, there were no new signings announced to replace Fernandez.

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