Chelsea have set a Friday 5pm BST deadline for any club interested in Enzo Fernández, with bids needing to reach £120m or more. Manchester City are the only named suitor in the reporting so far, and Chelsea are prepared to keep him if nobody meets the figure.
Chelsea's asking price
The club paid £107m to sign Fernández from Benfica in 2023, so the current stance is a clear attempt to push above that outlay rather than settle for a modest gain. BBC Sport reported the Friday deadline, while Sky Sports said Chelsea had told City to bid by 5pm if they want the midfielder this summer.
Chelsea also told interested clubs they had around 60 days to complete a deal before the season starts. That is a firm timetable, and it fits a club that finished 10th in the Premier League last season and does not want the situation dragging on.
Why City have to decide now
Manchester City are the only known club still in the frame, which is why the deadline matters. Chelsea's position is not vague: if the £120m valuation is not met, Fernández stays and gets put back into the squad.
That stance is backed by the scale of his season. Fernández made 54 appearances last season and returned 15 goals and seven assists, a strong enough output for Chelsea to treat him as a major first-team asset. He also has six years left on his contract, so Chelsea do not need to rush.
BBC Sport reported Chelsea signed Fernández for £107m in 2023, a figure that now looks more like a floor than a ceiling in their thinking. Unless City move fast and meet the price, this story should be over by Friday evening.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
