Why Chelsea had to let Fernandez go
- Published
Under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez helped the club win the 2025 Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup later that summer but noises emerged at the start of this year about him wanting to leave.
It began once Maresca left Stamford Bridge in January and two months later, following Chelsea's Champions League exit, Fernandez said he did not know whether he would be at the club next season.
His first choice was to join Real Madrid but the La Liga giants never came in with an offer, feeling the Premier League midfielder was overpriced.
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso spoke to Fernandez this summer in an attempt to try and change his mind and for him to stay, but the player's heart was set on leaving.
Having been jeered by his own supporters during the home pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad, there was only one direction of travel thereafter and that exit was seemingly rubberstamped after being left out of the wins over Luton and Brighton.
A deal with Manchester City was finally struck with just hours remaining in the transfer window, but which club will feel they came out on top?
Chelsea had set an arbitrary deadline of 14 August for clubs to match their £120m valuation of the player - which passed without any offers coming in - and they were understood to be holding out for £135m on Monday.
City had indicated they would walk away from the deal at the price, instead offering £125m the following day, which was subsequently accepted.
City got their man, while Chelsea received £5m more than what they initially asked for.
Chelsea have now raised more than £425m through player sales, including add-ons this summer and fees from loan deals are expected to take that figure closer to £500m.
Club sources initially indicated they would bank the cash and not bring in a direct replacement but, with time running out on deadline day, they performed an extraordinary pivot by agreeing a £47m deal to sign Monaco's Lamine Camara.
But there was one final twist at 23:00 BST as the window closed, with the Ligue 1 side reneging on the written agreement after renegotiating a deal to sell USA striker Folarin Balogun to Everton.
It left Chelsea with the Fernandez cash in their pocket but without a replacement and, though they could have pulled the plug on the deal, the Blues decided to honour their word and allowed him to join City.
