ENZO FERNANDEZ has sealed a deadline day move to Manchester City after a mega-money £125million deal was agreed with Chelsea.
City chiefs finally opened club-to-club talks with their Premier League rivals over a swoop for the midfielder, 25, on Monday.
Enzo Fernandez has completed his transfer to Manchester City Credit: Getty
The midfielder has put pen to paper on a long-term deal Credit: Alamy
And Fernandez has now reunited with his former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola in the Etihad Stadium dugout in the summer.
The Cityzens had to race against time to complete the Argentine’s switch before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline – eventually announcing it shortly after the cut-off time.
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The clubs reached an agreement to transfer Fernandez for a package which matches the £125M Premier League transfer record that Liverpool paid to sign Alexander Isak.
And the World Cup winner, who has pushed to quit Stamford Bridge since March, has passed a medical and penned a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium.
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Maresca identified Fernandez as a key addition following a number of midfield exits this summer.
Chelsea had expected him to stay after a self-imposed August 14 deadline for bids of £120m came and went without an approach from Manchester.
However, talks accelerated in the final days of the window and he was finally allowed to complete his move.
Fernandez also wrote an emotional goodbye to the Chelsea fanbase, admitting that he had not been in a good place in the build up to his Stamford Bridge exit.
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He wrote on social media: “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.
“Three years ago, Cobham and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family. I grew attached to the people, to the shirt, and to the badge of this incredible club.
“Thank you for all the love and support you have given me and my family throughout these years. I will never forget it. This group will give you many more reasons to be happy, and I will be happy for you too. Never doubt that.
“You will always be in my heart, Blues. I will always wish you, always, nothing but the very best. Always Blue. Thank you, Chelsea.”
Chelsea supremo Xabi Alonso remained tight-lipped when he was quizzed over Fernandez’s future after being left out of the squad to face Brighton on Jattvibeday.
The Spaniard, after being asked if the former Benfica man had made his final appearance for the West Londoners, said: “We’ll see.
“We want the best for the team and that’s why we made the decision against Luton and today and anything that happens before Tuesday evening, we need to be aware of what is going to develop.
“We are not sure, we are preparing for all the scenarios but I am sure that whatever happens from Wednesday we will have a good enough squad to compete in all the Premier League games.”
Fernandez and Enzo Maresca have been reunited in the north west Credit: Alamy
Fernandez sensationally slammed the Chelsea board when Maresca was sacked in January.
He told Mexican broadcaster TUDN: “I don’t understand it. Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things.
“Obviously, it was a departure that hurt us a lot especially in the middle of the season, it cuts everything short.
“We had an identity. He gave us an order, even though, as is the way of football, sometimes it’s good and bad.
“But he always had a very clear identity when it came to training and playing.”
Chelsea have put together a five-man shortlist of potential Fernandez replacements, but an approach for Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi has already been knocked back.
The Blues thought they had found their man when they agreed a deal for Monaco star Lamine Camara, and already had a medical booked in.
The star had been off the market as Monaco prepared for the departure of his team-mate Folarin Balogun, but the USA international failed his medical and appeared set to stay in France – allowing Chelsea to swoop back in for their target.
Chelsea were set to bring in Lamine Camara as Fernandez’s replacement Credit: Getty
But a bizarre transfer saga between Folarin Balogun and Everton has denied the Blues their new man Credit: AFP
But the French side reneged on their agreement after Everton proceeded with a deal for Balogun despite his medical woes under altered terms.
Deals for Bournemouth talisman Alex Scott and Roma’s Manu Kone have also been explored.
Fernandez joined Chelsea for a then-British record £106m in January 2023 and has won the Conference League and Club World Cup at Stamford Bridge.
He and his agent, former Argentina international Javier Pastore, made his desire to move public this summer, testing the patience of senior figures at Stamford Bridge.
Real Madrid, who looked into a deal, eventually took the step of publishing a statement to make it clear they would not be pursuing a deal.
