Chelsea have established a 5pm (BST) Friday deadline for any club interested in signing midfielder Enzo Fernández. Potential suitors must submit an official bid of £120m by this time, or the 25-year-old will remain with the club. Fernández, a World Cup winner at Qatar 2022 and Chelsea’s captain, is seen as a player who would add leadership and seniority.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have turned down a second offer from Barcelona for Rodri. The improved bid from Barcelona was around €60m (£51m), following an initial offer of €45m that was also rejected. City are reportedly seeking between £60m and £65m for the 30-year-old midfielder, who captained Spain to victory at the World Cup and is a former Ballon d’Or winner.
Transfer Negotiations Continue
Rodri has expressed a preference to join Barcelona, leading City to accept that his move to Camp Nou is likely. Consequently, Enzo Fernández has been identified as a potential replacement in Enzo Maresca’s squad. City’s asking price for Rodri is thought to be around £60m, especially as he has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and is reportedly keen to return to Spain after seven years in Manchester.
Barcelona’s attempts to secure the Spain World Cup-winning captain are ongoing, but they have yet to meet City’s valuation. City are considering further midfield acquisitions, with interest in Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Maresca is known to admire Fernández, who played under him at Chelsea.
To help finance potential moves, City may sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah. Discussions are reportedly advanced for a package worth approximately €60m for the 28-year-old Dutchman, who joined City last summer.
Player Movements and Contract Extensions
In other news, Jérémy Doku has signed a contract extension with Manchester City, committing him to the club until 2031. The 24-year-old winger expressed his excitement for the new season under Enzo Maresca, citing the manager’s style of football as appealing to the players. Doku also acknowledged the support from City fans as a significant factor in his decision to sign the new deal.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest are reportedly set to sign Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande, 22, from Sporting for £34m. Spain forward Ferran Torres, 26, has informed Barcelona of his desire to join Paris St-Germain after agreeing personal terms with the European champions. Everton and Crystal Palace have also held discussions regarding a potential swap deal involving English winger Dwight McNeil, 26, and Palace’s Wales winger Brennan Johnson, 25.
Tottenham have engaged in advanced talks with Manchester City concerning the signing of Brazil winger Savinho, 22, with a package worth £60m believed to be sufficient to finalise a deal. Aston Villa are nearing a full agreement to acquire Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri, 24, from Atletico Madrid. Additionally, Southampton’s Shea Charles could still move to Leeds if they surpass Fulham’s current £30m bid for the Northern Ireland midfielder, 22.
Niclas Fullkrug has agreed terms with Venezia, but his move has been hindered by West Ham’s asking price for the Germany striker, 33. West Ham have, however, reached an agreement in principle to sign Israel winger Manor Solomon, 27, from Tottenham. Finally, Fenerbahce are expected to finalise a deal to sign Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 33, from Napoli, which would result in a sell-on fee for Chelsea.
Source: theguardian.com