Fabrizio Romano says Enzo Fernández has a verbal agreement with Manchester City on personal terms, but Chelsea have still not received an official bid. Romano also said Fernández could be out again this weekend, with Tuesday’s transfer deadline now the main marker on the calendar.

Romano's update and Chelsea's stance

Romano's update matters because it puts the player side of the deal in place without crossing the line into completion. Chelsea have already left Fernández out of their squad again for the win over Brighton, and Xabi Alonso has been clear that the club are making selection calls with the coming days in mind.

"We'll see. We want the best for the team and that's why we made the decision against Luton and today and anything that happens before Tuesday evening, we need to be aware of what is going to develop," Alonso said.

He added: "We are not sure, we are preparing for all the scenarios but I am sure that whatever happens from Wednesday we will have a good enough squad to compete in all the Premier League games."

Chelsea have won four of their last five matches and drawn the other, so they are not operating from a position of panic. The club can wait for the fee to be right, and that is still the part that has not been settled.

The fee still has to be agreed

The price point remains the sticking point. Romano's report says City have not sent an official bid yet, while other reporting has put the figure at either £120m or £130m, which is a real gap when a move is running up against a deadline.

City's recent form is strong enough to explain why they are in this market. They have won four of their last five, and a move for Fernández would fit the idea of adding another immediate-level midfielder rather than waiting for a longer project.

Chelsea's own situation is more complicated because Alonso has also refused to guarantee Pedro Neto will stay, even while praising his performances. That leaves room for more movement before Tuesday, but the Fernández deal is still the one being watched most closely.

By Tuesday evening, the key question will not be whether terms are in place. It will be whether City send the bid that turns the agreement into an actual transfer.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →