The big summer transfer is set to happen. Man City have agreed a fee with Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Fernandez is on the verge of joining Manchester City after Chelsea approved a sale.
The 25-year-old has now been granted permission to undergo a medical to join Man City, who agreed a fee of around £125 million, as reported by David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano.
Fernandez is set to end a three-and-a-half-year stay at Stamford Bridge to reunite with former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, who left the club at the beginning of the year and eventually succeeded Pep Guardiola this summer.
The £125m fee agreed between the two clubs will equal the current British transfer record paid by Liverpool for Alexander Isak from Newcastle United last summer.
It brings an end to the transfer saga after Fernandez and his camp have expressed their wish to leave Chelsea throughout the summer.
Fernandez's wish has been granted by Chelsea, who wanted their asking price and City have now satisfied the Blues with their offer.
After an initial £120m asking price before August 14, Chelsea's price increased, and Man City have now met the valuation to ensure Maresca gets his priority target before the window closes at 11pm (UK) on September 1.
Fernandez has been patiently waiting for the clubs to move the talks forward and agree on a fee. He was left out of Chelsea's last two matchday squads against Luton Town and Brighton and Hove Albion, with manager Xabi Alonso confirming the midfielder lacked the desire to play following private talks.
With Fernandez's deal to Man City now set to go through, Chelsea will be working on finding midfield replacements. They have had two bids rejected for AS Monaco's Lamine Camara, but the Ligue 1 side are reluctant to sell. Meanwhile, interest remains in AS Roma's Manu Kone, but that deal is more complicated because Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini wants to keep him at the club. If they can't replace him, it will be a disappointing end to what has been a brilliant window for the Blues.
Once Fernandez departs Chelsea, it will have seen the Blues recoup in excess of £400m across the summer market through outgoings, with Fernandez earning the biggest fee.
Chelsea are currently scheduled to travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City in mid-December. The Fernandez transfer to follow Maresca will add an edge to the fixture, with both sides hoping to get the bragging rights.
Fernandez’s future has been a distraction for Chelsea. They’ve tried to minimise it all summer, but it has been impossible to ignore. They tried to draw a line before the season got underway, but Man City failed to meet their demands.
Chelsea will take the positives away despite losing a quality player in midfield, where they will need to replace and strengthen, ideally before the summer deadline, given the substantial fee they’ve received to reinvest in the squad.
