Manchester City have completed the signing of midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m, matching the British transfer record and capping a remarkable deadline-day spree that took the club's summer spending to a Premier League record £458m.
The 25-year-old Argentine international, who won 49 caps for his country, has agreed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium. The deal equalled the £125m Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak on deadline day last summer, making it the joint-most expensive transfer in British football history.
Fernandez's move brings to a close one of the sagas of the transfer window. Chelsea had set a deadline of 17:00 BST on 14 August for offers of £120m or more, hoping to resolve uncertainty before the new season. The former Benfica midfielder had been keen to join Real Madrid earlier in the summer, and his relationship with Chelsea supporters deteriorated after he was booed during a friendly against Real Sociedad and again when he came on as a substitute in the Premier League opener at Fulham.
He was absent from Chelsea's 4-3 win over Brighton on Sunday and their Carabao Cup victory over Luton, with reports in Argentina suggesting he had asked to be left out of the squad.
In an open letter on Instagram addressed to Chelsea fans, Fernandez wrote: "I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven't been in a good place. From the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves."
The £125m deal takes City's summer outlay to a staggering £458m, surpassing Liverpool's £415m from the previous window. However, the club have also recouped around £300m from player sales this summer. It is the second time in two months that City have broken their own transfer record, following the £116m signing earlier in the window.
Fernandez worked with City manager Enzo Maresca during the Italian's time at Chelsea, and the coach was eager to reunite with the midfielder after losing a number of his squad options over the summer.
"I could not be happier to be here, and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies," Fernandez told the club's website. "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 give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I'm here."
The move also adds to Chelsea's frustration on deadline day. The club had agreed a £47m fee with Monaco for midfielder Lamine Camara, who was poised to sign a six-year contract, but the Ligue 1 side reneged on the agreement on Tuesday night, leaving the Blues scrambling for alternatives as the window closed.
City also completed the signing of forward Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for up to £65m on the same day, underlining the scale of the club's investment under Maresca as they look to reclaim the Premier League title.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr7deg1ze03o
- https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/02/fernandez-completes-record-equalling-125m-move-from-chelsea-to-manchester-city
