Manchester City Eye Enzo Fernandez as Rodri Replacement

Manchester City are weighing up a late move for Enzo Fernandez as the transfer window ticks towards its deadline, with Enzo Maresca still pushing hard for his preferred Rodri replacement.

City have already moved once in midfield, bringing in 18-year-old Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi after his breakout performances at the World Cup. That deal, though, is viewed as one for the future. Maresca wants a ready-made controller now, and Fernandez sits at the top of that list.

The Premier League champions are exploring options. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is admired. So is Roma midfielder Manu Kone. But inside City, Fernandez is seen as the statement signing – the one that would reshape their midfield in the post-Rodri era.

Chelsea’s £120m line in the sand – and why it’s smudged

Chelsea had tried to take control of the situation earlier this month. Almost two weeks ago, they set a clear deadline: bids for Fernandez needed to be in by 5pm on a Friday, with an asking price of up to £120m.

City simply let that deadline pass.

The stance from Stamford Bridge sounded firm at the time, but it has started to look less rigid. When Xabi Alonso was asked about Fernandez last week, he offered no guarantees about the player’s future. No declaration that he would stay, no insistence that the door was shut. Just a brief nod to the midfielder’s work on the training pitch ahead of Monday Night Football against Fulham.

Then came the team sheet.

With Alonso juggling several injury problems before his first competitive game in charge – including the absence of Moises Caicedo – it looked the perfect moment to lean on Fernandez. Instead, Reece James lined up in central midfield alongside Romeo Lavia, with Fernandez left on the bench.

He did get on. He did get a reaction. Fulham fans booed him. Chelsea supporters answered with loud backing, a contrast to the mixed response he received when he came off the bench against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge in their final pre-season friendly around 10 days earlier.

It all added to the sense of uncertainty. Fernandez is involved, but not central. Wanted, but not fully trusted. And all the while, City are watching.

A strained relationship and a looming decision

Any negotiation between these two clubs will be loaded. Relations are already tense.

Chelsea’s season was knocked off course around Christmas when Enzo Maresca walked away, a departure that forced a reset in the dugout and left a bitter taste. City had to pay £17m in compensation for their part in taking him, a fee that underlined the scale of the disruption at Stamford Bridge.

That backdrop matters now. Chelsea know City retain a serious interest in Fernandez. City know Chelsea once valued him at around £120m. The question is whether that figure still stands, and whether Chelsea are willing to sit across the table from a club they feel has already unsettled their plans once this year.

City, for their part, are financially armed. They have sold a record number of players in this window and freed up significant funds. Internally, there is confidence they can move decisively if Maresca gives the green light.

And Maresca’s stance is no secret. He loves Fernandez’s profile, his range of passing, his ability to dictate the rhythm of a game. For a manager trying to rebuild a midfield without Rodri, that kind of influence is priceless.

So the clock keeps ticking. Chelsea hold the contract, City hold the cash, and Maresca holds the conviction that Fernandez is the man he wants. Now it comes down to one thing: how far are Manchester City willing to go to give their new manager his top target?