Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has indicated that the club will not meet Chelsea‘s deadline for offers for midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea set a deadline of Friday at 17:00 BST for bids for the Argentine player, whom they value at £120m.
Maresca, speaking at a news conference, stated, “I don’t think we’re going to do something today.” This comes as Maresca prepares to take charge of City for the first time in a major match on Sunday, facing Arsenal in the Community Shield in Cardiff.
Transfer Dynamics and Player Movements
A potential deal for Fernandez is reportedly contingent on City selling Spain midfielder Rodri. Rodri, who has numerous accolades, is said to desire a return to Spain to join Barcelona. City is asking for 80m euros (£68.4m) for Rodri, but Barcelona’s initial bid for the player, who has one year remaining on his contract, was £38.5m.
Simon Stone of a major news outlet suggests that the Rodri and Fernandez deals are interdependent, though they do not necessarily need to occur simultaneously. If City were assured of Rodri’s departure, it would enable them to make an offer for Fernandez. Fernandez could potentially sign before Rodri is ready to play again following a minor back procedure.
City has already made a significant midfield signing this summer, acquiring Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m. Anderson, like Fernandez, has experience in various midfield roles, offering Maresca tactical flexibility. City is also linked with Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille.
The relationship between Fernandez and Chelsea reportedly deteriorated after Maresca’s departure from the club in January. Fernandez criticised Chelsea following a significant defeat in the Champions League in March and expressed a desire to move to Madrid. Real Madrid later released a statement confirming they would not be signing Fernandez, leaving City as the primary contenders.
Chelsea’s Stance and Financial Activity
Chelsea’s deadline for Fernandez is described as an arbitrary one set for City or any other interested club. The official transfer deadline is Tuesday, 1 September at 23:00 BST. According to Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella, club insiders suggest that if City does not make an offer by Friday, the opportunity will pass, and Fernandez will remain at Chelsea until next summer.
Kinsella views this as a favourable situation for Chelsea, as they either retain the player or secure £120m. However, it remains uncertain whether Chelsea would decline one of the largest transfer offers in history if it arrived slightly after their set deadline. Clubs have been known to adhere strictly to their deadlines, as illustrated by Manchester United‘s experience with Borussia Dortmund regarding Jadon Sancho in 2020.
Chelsea has been active in the transfer market this summer, with their spending exceeding £300m. This includes a club-record acquisition of attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m, £52m for defender Maxence Lacroix, and £47m for right-back Marco Palestra. If Fernandez is sold, Chelsea’s total sales would surpass £250m. Three weeks ago, Chelsea had a £64m offer for midfielder Alex Scott rejected by Bournemouth.
Managerial Changes and Club Relations
Maresca’s move to City followed Pep Guardiola‘s departure after 10 years. Guardiola led City to 17 major trophies, including six Premier League titles. Maresca, a former assistant manager at City, took over the managerial role. His exit from Chelsea in January, where he was in charge for 18 months, was described as disruptive and led to a legal dispute.
Kinsella noted that there is “bad blood” between Chelsea and Manchester City due to the circumstances surrounding Maresca’s departure, and losing Fernandez to City would further intensify this dynamic. Maresca has since stated that he resigned from Chelsea, admitting it “opened a path” for him to move to City.
City’s summer spending could exceed £250m, including the recruitment of youngsters Pierce Charles, Jeremy Monga, and Mathys Detourbet, as well as goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. For 2026, their spending could approach £350m, following January acquisitions of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi for £82.5m. Meanwhile, players like Bernardo Silva and John Stones have left on free transfers, and James Trafford was sold to Leeds for up to £45m. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders is also set to join Al-Qadsiah in a £52m deal.
Maresca made Fernandez Chelsea captain when Reece James was injured and played the Argentine in 79 of his 92 games in charge. Fernandez, primarily a defensive midfielder, was often deployed further forward by Maresca last season when Cole Palmer was injured, leading to him scoring 15 goals.
Maresca acknowledged the challenge of constructing a new midfield, especially with the departure of Bernardo Silva and the uncertainty surrounding Rodri. He also commented on players seeking more playing time, stating, “It’s a normal situation.”
The transfer window remains open, and Maresca expects a busy period, but his immediate focus is on the upcoming Community Shield match against Arsenal.
Source: bbc.co.uk