Manchester City have completed the blockbuster signing of Enzo Fernández from Chelsea in a £125 million deal that matches the British transfer record.
The move brings an unexpected twist to the final stages of the transfer window, with Chelsea agreeing to part ways with the Argentina international despite their own efforts to secure a replacement before the deadline.
Fernández has signed a five-year contract with City, joining a midfield that has already undergone significant investment this summer. His arrival follows the additions of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116 million and Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille for £86 million, taking City’s spending on midfielders to a staggering £327 million.
The situation became even more complicated for Chelsea after their attempt to bring in Lamine Camara from Monaco collapsed late in the window. The Blues had reportedly reached an agreement worth £47 million for the Senegalese midfielder after previously seeing an offer rejected earlier in the day.
Camara was expected to sign a six-year deal with an option for another season, but Monaco ultimately pulled out of the agreement as the deadline approached. The development left Chelsea scrambling for alternatives after their plans to replace Fernández were thrown into uncertainty.
View this post on Instagram
The drama was further complicated by Everton’s efforts to complete a deal for Folarin Balogun. Despite prolonged negotiations, that transfer also fell through shortly after midnight, leaving Chelsea unable to bring in the midfielder they had identified as Fernández’s replacement.
None of that, however, was enough to derail Fernández’s move to Manchester City. The 25-year-old now becomes one of the most expensive players in British football history, matching the £125 million fee Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last year.
View this post on Instagram
For City, the signing adds another high-profile midfielder to an already heavily reinforced squad and represents another major statement of intent ahead of the new campaign.
Fernández now has the chance to work under Pep Guardiola and compete for more major honours, while Chelsea are left to deal with the consequences of losing one of their key midfielders without securing the replacement they had lined up.
It has been a dramatic deadline-day story, but Fernández’s next chapter will now unfold in Manchester, where expectations will be enormous from the moment he steps onto the pitch.
Welcome to Manchester City, Enzo 🩵 pic.twitter.com/SPyjyAKl9O
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 1, 2026