Manchester City have agreed to purchase Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez for £125 million, matching the joint-highest transfer fee in British football history. The Argentina international will reunite with City manager Enzo Maresca, under whom he previously worked at Chelsea.
Manchester City have secured the signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a fee of £125 million, according to reports from Ada Derana. The transfer matches the joint-highest transfer fee ever paid in British football, equalling the £125 million Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak last summer.
Fernandez will undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract with City following negotiations between the two clubs. The 23-year-old Argentine midfielder previously joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for £107 million. His move to Manchester reunites him with manager Enzo Maresca, with whom he worked during Maresca's tenure at Chelsea. Fernandez had been keen to depart Chelsea since March and reportedly requested to be excluded from recent squad selections, though Real Madrid ultimately ruled out making an offer for the player.
The transfer represents Manchester City's second record-breaking signing of the summer, following the £116 million acquisition of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. City have departed with four midfielders this off-season, including Rodri's £65 million move to Barcelona and Tijjani Reijnders' £52 million transfer to Saudi Arabia. The club has moved to reinforce their midfield with other signings, including 18-year-old Ayoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86 million.
For Chelsea, Fernandez's departure constitutes the second-largest sale in the club's history, surpassed only by Eden Hazard's 2019 move to Real Madrid. Combined with recent sales including Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa for £65 million and Liam Delap to Nottingham Forest for £50 million, Chelsea are positioned to record a Premier League record for player sales income, potentially exceeding £400 million for the summer window.