Chelsea And Manchester City Tied The Premier League Transfer Record
- 2.09.2026, 8:01
This will go down in the history of English soccer.
"Manchester City" has reached an agreement with "Chelsea" on the transfer of midfielder Enzo Fernández for 125 million pounds. This amount will tie the British transfer record.
This was reported by BBC Sport.
Details of Enzo’s Transfer to “City”
The clubs finalized the deal after 24 hours of intense negotiations. The 25-year-old Argentine is expected to undergo a medical exam shortly and sign a long-term contract with Manchester City.
Fernández moved to Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for 107 million pounds—at the time, that transfer was the most expensive in the history of British soccer. Now, his move to City will rival the record fee that Liverpool paid last summer for Alexander Isak.
What makes this transfer special is also Fernández’s reunion with Enzo Maresca. The Argentine midfielder played under the Italian coach during his tenure at Chelsea. Maresca is interested in working with the player again after Manchester City lost a number of midfielders this summer.
Does Chelsea not need Fernández?
Fernández was not included in Chelsea’s roster for the matches against Brighton (4–3) in the Premier League and Luton (2–0) in the EFL Cup. Argentine media reported that the player asked not to be included in the lineup for those matches.
Chelsea had previously set a deadline for potential buyers—5:00 p.m. British time on August 14. The London club was prepared to consider offers starting at 120 million pounds to resolve the situation regarding Fernández’s future by the start of the 2026–27 season.
Manchester City’s activity
For Manchester City, this is already the second transfer record of this summer. Earlier, the club signed Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for 116 million pounds.
Fernandes will thus become the fourth player for whom Premier League clubs have paid at least 100 million pounds this summer. Before him, Morgan Rogers (117 million pounds, Chelsea), Bradley Barcola (123 million, Liverpool), and Elliot Anderson (116 million, Manchester City).