"I can promise you that in the last four or five days four or five players from the squad were asking if he is coming or not because they want him to be with us." Those were Enzo Maresca's words on Manchester City's deadline-day deal for Enzo Fernández, which BBC said was completed for a joint-British record £125m from Chelsea. Maresca also said the midfielder is ready to debut against newly promoted Coventry City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
City wanted the move done
The key detail is not just the fee. Maresca said several players were checking on the move in the final days of the window, which tells you the signing was welcomed inside the dressing room rather than merely accepted from above.
He put it in terms that were hard to miss: "It's very important that he is with us and we are 100% happy with that." Maresca added that when another winning player arrives, the squad is happy, and that sits neatly alongside his view that Fernández knows how to win after the World Cup and Club World Cup.
What Fernandez brings into a crowded squad
Maresca also said he knows Fernández quite well and knows what he can bring to the team. That matters less as a slogan than as a clue to how quickly the club expect him to fit into the side.
The numbers around Fernández back that up. He has 7 appearances, 690 minutes, 2 goals and a 7.05 average rating this season. That is not the profile of a player arriving short of rhythm, and it fits Maresca's line that City are now "100% happy" with the squad after the late arrivals.
City have also spent heavily this window, with Maresca saying the club's transfer outlay reached a window record £458m and more than £300m came back through player sales. The balance of that spend is one thing, but the immediate message around Fernández is clearer: City wanted him, the dressing room wanted him, and he could be in line to make his debut on Saturday at the Etihad.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
