Manchester City's desperation to bring in midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea not only ends the summer's longest running transfer saga but highlights the club's determination to get the deal done for manager Enzo Maresca's top target. City have paid a joint-British record £125m deal for the Argentina international to break their club record transfer fee for the second time this summer following the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson. City had to overcome numerous obstacles to finalise a difficult deal during the 79-day transfer window, from being set deadlines to complete the deal and the backdrop of former Chelsea boss Maresca's acrimonious appointment as their manager.
But shelling out a joint-British record fee showcased City's perseverance to acquire their man and those upstairs at Etihad Stadium have shown unequivocal faith to both player and manager. City have started the season with back-to-back Premier League wins and Fernandez's arrival means he becomes the first player in football history to move for more than £100m twice after going to Chelsea from Benfica for £107m in 2023. The 25-year-old also joins a unique trio of players that have broken the British transfer record twice in their careers during the Premier League era along with former England internationals Alan Shearer and Rio Ferdinand.
All that means City's acquisition of Fernandez matches the amount paid by Liverpool to Newcastle for striker Alexander Isak on the same day last summer. How have City pulled off the biggest deal of the summer despite a seemingly bitter relationship with Chelsea following the appointment of Maresca as manager earlier this summer? Man City agree £125m for Chelsea's Fernandez When Maresca was appointed as Pep Guardiola's replacement in June, the Italian apologised to his former club Chelsea for the "disruption" caused by his mid-season departure.
Senior City sources had told BBC Sport at the time that they held no ill feeling towards Chelsea and that the now-resolved contractual dispute was between the Stamford Bridge club and Maresca. And that has played out in this deal happening. The manager was the key factor in this blockbuster deal with Maresca keen to reunite with his former Chelsea skipper.
It is understood Maresca wanted Fernandez as someone who he can fully trust and rely on, a player that is familiar with the manager's instructions, the patterns of play and does not need to be learn how to operate in the middle of the park in the system. The 46-year-old had a similar approach when being appointed as Chelsea manager in 2023, signing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall having worked with the player at Leicester during their Championship-winning campaign. Looking back on Friday's pre-match news conference, Maresca had hinted at a late incoming by saying he was hoping to add "a captain" to his squad before the end of the transfer window.
City have lost the experience of Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri this summer, with Ruben Dias taking the captain's armband and Erling Haaland being part of the leadership group. Fernandez adds big-game know-how to City's midfield after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, being named young player of the tournament, and helping his country to a second-straight final in July. His antics during the summer may not make him a universally popular figure but Fernandez comes across as a player that team-mates love to have alongside them and one that gets under the skin of the opposition players and supporters.
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