Manchester City have continued their extraordinary midfield rebuild as Enzo Maresca looks to assemble a squad capable of competing for the biggest honours this season.
The Citizens have already invested heavily in Lille youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi, but their search for elite midfield reinforcements has continued amid efforts to reshape the team and find a long-term solution following Rodri’s importance to the side. That search has now produced another blockbuster development, this time involving one of Chelsea’s most prominent players.
According to TyC Sports, Manchester City have reached an agreement to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea for around €140 million, with the Argentina international set to make the switch to the Etihad Stadium.
Enzo Fernandez agrees long-term Man City contract
The 25-year-old is reportedly poised to sign a contract running until 2032, with City also holding an option to extend the agreement for another season. A transfer had appeared increasingly likely after Fernandez was unavailable for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup second-round meeting with Luton Town.
The move will also reunite Fernandez with Maresca, while bringing his three-and-a-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge to an end. Fernandez developed into an important figure during his time with Chelsea and was handed the captaincy. He also helped the Blues win the 2024/25 Conference League and 2025 Club World Cup, with Chelsea defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
His relationship with sections of the Chelsea support had nevertheless become strained during 2026, and he was recently booed during a friendly against Real Sociedad amid growing speculation surrounding his future.
Another enormous transfer for Fernandez
The reported €140 million agreement represents another huge transaction involving the Argentine midfielder. Fernandez previously moved from River Plate to Benfica before Chelsea subsequently spent a massive fee to bring him to the Premier League.
According to the report, his transfers involving River, Benfica, Chelsea and now Manchester City will have generated approximately €279 million in combined fees during his career. City’s latest investment would also follow their reported €100 million acquisition of Bouaddi as they undertake a significant midfield overhaul.
This is an enormous statement from Manchester City as Fernandez is already proven at the highest level and, at 25, should be entering the prime years of his career. Pairing him with another major midfield investment in Bouaddi gives Maresca significant options for the present and future.
For Chelsea, €140 million would represent a huge fee for a player who had become an important part of their side. For City, however, the expectation will be immediate: at that price, Fernandez arrives not merely as another midfield option, but as one of the central figures around whom their next team will be built.