Chelsea made unprecedented decision in final moments of Enzo Fernandez transfer saga
Chelsea made an unprecedented decision involving Enzo Fernandez at the very end of transfer deadline day as he completed a £125 million move to Manchester City.
Fernandez was earmarked as City's midfield top target throughout the summer, but the saga dragged on until the very final day.
City initially offered £104 million as well as add-ons, but Chelsea informed the FA Cup winners that their asking price had increased to £135 million.
Eventually, the Blues lowered their demands to a fixed fee of £125 million and a deal was wrapped up - with Fernandez reuniting with Enzo Maresca and signing a five-year contract.
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However, the move was not completely plain-sailing as Chelsea had the capacity to pull the plug on the deal.
Chelsea honoured Man City agreement after move for top target fell through
The Blues identified Monaco's Lamine Camara as their ideal replacement for Fernandez and found an agreement with Monaco after a £47 million bid was accepted.
Camara even completed his medical and put pen to paper on a six-year contract.
However, in an astonishing turn of events, Monaco went back on their word in an action Chelsea felt was extremely unprofessional.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Liverpool reached out to the player's camp and told them to 'wait' for a potential pursuit in 2027.
But the shock u-turn could have impacted the Fernandez deal. As per Jacobs, Chelsea had the opportunity to stop Fernandez from moving because of their failed transfer.
However, after giving their word to both City and Fernandez, they honoured the agreement and sanctioned the move even without a replacement.
Chelsea's midfield options now appear a little light, even with both Jordan Henderson and Valentin Barco signing this summer.
Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and captain Reece James are the primary contenders to play centrally, though full-back Malo Gusto played there in the 4-3 win over Brighton on Sunday.
Fernandez, who was left out of the Chelsea squad, told Chelsea he wanted to leave three months ago.
A deadline for his sale passed, but City and Chelsea were still able to do business, with the two-time Champions League winners making £18 million profit on a player they signed for £106.8 million from Benfica in February 2023.
Expressing his delight at signing for City, World Cup Fernandez told the club's official website: “Manchester City are the most successful club in England in recent times. Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well-run City are.
“I could not be happier to be here, and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies. This is a club built for success.
“If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player.
“I pride myself on continually improving my game. Anyone who’s worked with me will know how hard I train every single day and how much I put into matches. I give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I’m here.
“I want to thank Hugo, Enzo, Khaldoon and everyone at City who has made this deal possible. I want to take the faith shown in me and repay it as soon as possible.”
Topics: Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez, Man City
Josh Lawless