Enzo Fernandez (foto: Getty Images)
Chelsea have given Manchester City until Friday at 5 pm to bid for Enzo Fernandez, with the £120m midfielder emerging as a potential replacement for Barcelona target Rodri.
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Enzo Fernandez could become the centre of one of the biggest transfer battles of the summer, but Chelsea have made one thing clear to Manchester City: move now or forget about signing him.
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea have informed City that they must submit an official offer for the Argentine midfielder by 5 pm on Friday. If the deadline passes without a bid, the London club will refuse to negotiate his departure this summer.
Chelsea want to avoid another major transfer saga continuing until the final days of the window. The club believes interested teams have already had enough time to make their intentions clear and wants new head coach Xabi Alonso to enter the season knowing exactly which players will remain at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea want £120 million for Fernandez
The price will present another major obstacle for Manchester City.
Chelsea value Fernandez at approximately £120 million, while the midfielder still has six years remaining on his contract. Meeting that valuation would force City to break their transfer record for the second time this summer.
City have already spent £116 million to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest and remain in negotiations with Lille over Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who strengthened his reputation with an outstanding World Cup.
Rodri's future could decide everything
Manchester City's interest in Fernandez is closely connected to uncertainty surrounding Rodri.
The Spanish midfielder has been at the Etihad since 2019, but Barcelona are pushing to take him back to Spain. City have already rejected an offer worth around £40 million.
Rodri is reportedly open to returning to his homeland before the end of his career. If he leaves this summer, City would need another elite midfielder, and Fernandez has emerged as one of their leading options.
The Argentine also has a strong relationship with new City manager Enzo Maresca, adding another important dimension to the potential transfer.
Real Madrid have stepped away
Fernandez's future became a major talking point earlier this year after he admitted that he would welcome the possibility of living in Madrid.
Chelsea subsequently left him out for two matches, although Fernandez and his representatives later apologized for the comments.
Real Madrid have since distanced themselves from a move, leaving Manchester City as the most prominent club currently considering a major offer.
Tension between Chelsea and Manchester City
Any negotiations would take place against the backdrop of strained relations between the two Premier League clubs.
Maresca's move to Manchester created considerable tension after he acknowledged holding discussions with City while still employed by Chelsea. The London club eventually dismissed him in January, before City later paid approximately £17 million in compensation to appoint him.
Now the two clubs could find themselves negotiating another enormous deal.
This time Chelsea have set a clear deadline. If Manchester City want Fernandez, they have until Friday afternoon to prove it.