Chelsea lose Fernández after replacement deal collapses
Enzo Fernández has completed a five-year move from Chelsea to Manchester City for £125m, a fee that equals the British transfer record.
City complete their midfield rebuild as Chelsea miss out on their own replacement
According to a Guardian report published on 2 September 2026, Manchester City signed Fernández from Chelsea on a five-year deal worth £125m. The transfer was completed despite Chelsea’s attempt to secure a replacement falling apart late on deadline day.
Chelsea held out for a substantial fee for Fernández, and their unofficial deadline for clubs to submit bids of £120m had passed the previous month. The club ultimately came to the view that selling the midfielder was in its interests.
The situation was complicated by Chelsea’s move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara. Chelsea had an earlier £38.1m offer rejected before agreeing a reported £47m fee with the Ligue 1 club. Camara was poised to sign a six-year contract with the option of a further year, but Monaco pulled out of the written agreement as the deadline approached. The collapse of that move did not prevent Fernández’s sale to City from being completed.
Fernández joined Chelsea from Benfica for £106.7m in January 2023 and scored 31 goals during his time at the club. He also won the Conference League and Club World Cup. The 25-year-old had been seeking a move since March, initially targeting Real Madrid, and had served as Chelsea’s unofficial vice-captain.
Fernández grew disillusioned following Enzo Maresca’s split with Chelsea. Separately, he spoke after Chelsea’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain in March and was banned for two games. He was booed by Chelsea supporters during a pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad. After appearing from the bench in the opening win over Fulham, he was left out of the following two fixtures.
The £125m fee puts Fernández level with Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle to Liverpool a year earlier. City have spent £327m on midfielders this summer, including Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m and Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86m.
Fernández reunites with Maresca, who coached him at Chelsea. City have rebuilt their midfield after Rodri moved to Barcelona, Bernardo Silva joined Real Madrid and Nico González left for Newcastle.
In other news…
City also completed a deadline-day move for Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for up to £65m, adding another attacking option alongside their new-look midfield.
Chelsea’s deadline day also included the £16m sale of Marc Guiu to RB Leipzig. Dário Essugo joined Strasbourg on loan, Robert Sánchez moved to Como on loan and Mykhailo Mudryk joined Tottenham on loan. Tottenham also signed Tosin Adarabioyo on a permanent deal.
