On Deadline Day, Manchester City dug deep into its pockets once again: For 145 million euros, the Sky Blues have signed Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea FC, where he will be reunited with his former coach.
After three and a half years, Enzo Fernandez has left Chelsea FC shortly before the end of the transfer window. The Argentine midfielder remains in the Premier League and joins Manchester City. The Sky Blues are paying a whopping 145 million euros (125 million pounds) for the 25-year-old. This makes the Argentine, along with Alexander Isak (Liverpool), the most expensive Premier League transfer in history; globally, only Kylian Mbappé (180 million euros) and Neymar (222 million euros) have cost more.
Fernandez had already been left out of Chelsea’s squad recently, and now it’s clear why: he’s starting a new chapter in his career with cup champion Manchester City. His new contract runs through 2031.
“Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well City is run. This is a club built for success. If you look at the roster, City has quality in every position. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player,” says Fernandez about his move.
The runner-up has now completely overhauled its central midfield. Rodri (87.8 million euros, Barcelona), Bernardo Silva (on a free transfer, Real Madrid), Tijani Reijnders (61 million euros, Al-Qadisiya), and Nico (56 million euros, Newcastle) have all left City this summer. In their place, the club has signed Elliott Anderson (135 million euros, Nottingham), Ayyoub Bouaddi (100 million euros, Lille), and now Fernandez.
In late January 2023, Fernandez moved from Benfica Lisbon in Portugal to the Premier League for 121 million euros. At Chelsea FC, he became a key player in central midfield, making 148 appearances for the Blues and scoring 25 goals. With the London club, he won the Conference League in 2025 and became Club World Champion in 2025.
In Manchester, Fernandez will be reunited with his former coach, Enzo Maresca, who managed Chelsea from July 2024 to early January 2026 and has been on the Manchester City bench since the summer as Pep Guardiola’s successor. The Italian had been a strong advocate for signing the Argentine midfielder and has now secured his desired player. The Sky Blues have started the new season with two wins and will host newly promoted Coventry City on Saturday. Fernandez may make his debut right away.
Ndiaye also joins City
The same goes for Iliman Ndiaye, whom City signed on Deadline Day and gave a contract through 2031. The Skyblues paid 75 million euros to league rival Everton for the Senegalese winger.
Chelsea, on the other hand, wanted to reinvest the money from the Fernandez deal immediately and sign Lamine Camara from AS Monaco. The Athletic initially reported that an agreement had been reached, but the 55-million-euro deal fell through shortly before the transfer window closed.
