Manchester City have agreed a £125m fee with Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez.
The Argentina midfielder is on course to join the FA Cup winners for a sum that would equal the British transfer record, set by Liverpool when they signed Alexander Isak last summer, and make Fernandez one of the most expensive footballers ever.
Fernandez has sat out Chelsea’s last two games as he has looked for a move after being booed by both sets of fans on what could prove his last appearance for them, the 3-2 win over Fulham.
Chelsea had tried to set a deadline of 5pm on 14 August for clubs to bid for Fernandez as they tried to get his future resolved but, while City did not submit an offer then, they have done on the last day of the transfer window.
But Chelsea still wanted to replace Fernandez as they pursued Manu Kone of Roma and Lamine Camara of Monaco.
City are also trying to sign Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for an initial £60m and bringing in the Senegal international and Fernandez would take their summer spending to around £430m.
They have already broken their transfer record once this summer, with the £116m arrival of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, and will spend over £320m on their midfield, with Ayyoub Bouaddi also arriving from Lille for £85m.
Fernandez cost Chelsea a then record £107m when he joined from Benfica in January 2023 and went on to score 31 goals in 170 games for them.
The 25-year-old was critical of Chelsea after the sacking of Enzo Maresca and stayed in contact with the Italian after he left Stamford Bridge.
