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17 August 2026

Manchester City remain interested in the Argentina star, who was booed at Stamford Bridge.

The Enzo Fernandez situation has been one of the major transfer stories of the summer so far.

Although Chelsea’s deadline for bids for the Argentine midfielder expired last week without any offers arriving, some supporters still believe he could leave before the transfer window shuts on September 1.

So, is there still a realistic chance that Fernandez will no longer be at Stamford Bridge next month?

Last Wednesday, it emerged that Chelsea had set an internal deadline of 5pm BST on Friday for any interested clubs to submit bids.

Chelsea wanted clarity over whether new manager Xabi Alonso would have Fernandez available in his squad for his first season in charge, and therefore did not want the uncertainty to drag on into the final weeks of the window.

Throughout the process, Chelsea valued Fernandez at £120million and were unwilling to entertain any sale below that amount.

It had already become clear in early July that he would not be moving to Real Madrid, who issued a strongly worded statement rejecting any interest and any plan to pursue a transfer.

Former Blues manager Enzo Maresca is keen on a reunion with Fernandez, and attention was firmly on Manchester City in the build-up to Friday’s deadline.

Chelsea had been in contact with all clubs seen as potential suitors to outline the payment structure they would be prepared to accept for Fernandez. However, the 5pm deadline came and went without a written bid being lodged.

Could Chelsea still sell Fernandez regardless? That will depend largely on a couple of things. The first is whether the interest in him continues.

City have since been hammered 3-0 by Arsenal in the Community Shield and have agreed to sell Rodri to Barcelona, which has increased their need to add to their midfield options.

They are moving closer to signing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but reports suggest they have still not abandoned their interest in Fernandez.

If City do eventually make an offer around Chelsea’s asking price, the club would face a difficult call over a player who was booed by sections of the home crowd during Saturday’s 3-1 friendly victory over Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.

Sources at the club have indicated that Chelsea are now planning on keeping Fernandez for the season and will not consider selling him before next summer at the earliest, effectively ruling out any January departure.

Even so, an offer close to their valuation would almost certainly test that position and force Chelsea to decide whether to hold their line or cash in. Any buying club would also need to negotiate fresh terms with Chelsea, because the pre-deadline conditions are no longer available, and the eventual fee could rise above £120m as Chelsea would then have to rush to find a replacement before the window closes.

If Chelsea were to soften their stance and decide an offer was simply too strong to turn down, Fernandez could still leave this summer.

But if they maintain their current position, he will remain a Chelsea player at least until June 2027 and is expected to play a major role under Alonso this season.