Manchester City have reportedly agreed a £125million deal to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that the two clubs have come to terms on a fee that matches the British record Liverpool paid to Newcastle United to sign Alexander Isak on deadline day last year.
Fernandez has been given permission to travel to Manchester for a medical.
City’s pursuit of Fernandez has been one of the defining sagas of the transfer window, with the club determined to reunite former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca with the Argentina international to complete their midfield rebuild.
City end saga by completing midfield rebuild
Chelsea imposed a deadline of August 14 for City to lodge a bid for Fernandez meeting their £120m valuation and indicated they expected him to remain at Stamford Bridge after their Premier League rivals did not do so.
But City did not drop their interest in Fernandez, who, after making a substitute appearance in Chelsea’s season-opening win at Fulham, was left out of their EFL Cup victory over Luton Town and last Sunday’s defeat of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Now Fernandez will become City’s eighth signing of the transfer window and their midfield arrival as their engine room has been overhauled.
City paid £116m to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest before bringing in Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86m.
Former midfielder lynchpin Rodri left to join Barcelona, with Nico Gonzalez moving to Newcastle United and Bernardo Silva and Tijjani Reijnders signing for Real Madrid and Al Qadsiah respectively.
The signing of Fernandez is likely to be City’s last of another busy transfer window, but his exit leaves Chelsea with work to do ahead of the fast-approaching deadline.
More to follow.
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