Chelsea demands more than £120 million for Fernández
Manchester City missed the Friday 5 PM deadline, strengthening Chelsea's negotiating position ahead of the transfer window's close.
Manchester City missed the Friday 5 PM deadline, strengthening Chelsea's negotiating position ahead of the transfer window's close.
Manchester City faces a serious problem in their pursuit of Enzo Fernández after missing the deadline set by Chelsea for a written £120 million offer. According to The Telegraph, the London club no longer considers that amount a fixed price, and any new demand could exceed that figure.
Chelsea gave Manchester City until Friday at 5 PM to submit an offer under previously set terms, but it never arrived. Now City must negotiate a fresh deal to convince the London club to sell the Argentine midfielder, with time running out. Tportal reports that a transfer is not entirely ruled out, but the new asking price could be higher than £120 million.
Adding to City's pressure is the fact that the club accepted Barcelona's £65.4 million offer for Rodri, who leaves Manchester after seven years. According to Goal.com, Tijjani Reijnders has also departed, and Savinho could be the next to leave. City urgently needs reinforcement in midfield, and Fernández is one of the players highly valued by Chelsea's new manager, Enzo Maresca.
Over the weekend, Fernández came off the bench in a friendly against Real Sociedad, which Chelsea won 3-1. A section of fans at Stamford Bridge greeted him with whistles and jeers, while another part of the stands responded by chanting his name. The Argentine had expressed his desire to leave back in May, and rumors of a potential transfer have followed him all summer.
Despite this, Chelsea believes it can fully reintegrate him into Xabi Alonso's squad if he stays after the transfer window closes. The club is under no significant pressure to sell, as Fernández has a long-term contract, and they consider him important enough to keep rather than accept an offer below their valuation.
According to Goal.com, Chelsea's negotiations to bring in Moroccan player Ayoub Bouaddi are progressing well. However, Maresca is a big fan of Fernández, and it remains unclear whether completing that deal will cool the club's interest in the Argentine. Chelsea has also explored the possibility of bringing in Alex Scott from Bournemouth, but that club insists the player is not for sale.
City now faces the decision of whether to test Chelsea again in the final days of August. Maresca still values the Argentine World Cup winner, but after the expiration of the earlier terms, £120 million may no longer be enough. If City wants Fernández, they will have to pay more or offer terms more favorable to Chelsea than those previously presented to other clubs.
