Manchester City have only a matter of hours to make an offer if they are to sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Chelsea have set a firm deadline for negotiations over the Argentina international, with any proposal worth £120m (€140m) required to arrive by 17:00 on Friday. If that figure is not submitted by the cut-off time, Fernandez will remain at Chelsea.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the situation, confirming the timeframe set by Chelsea’s hierarchy as interest in the midfielder reaches a decisive stage.
The deadline applies to the negotiations surrounding Fernandez and leaves little time for Manchester City to complete any potential move. Chelsea’s position is clear: only an offer matching their £120m valuation will be considered before the club’s stated cut-off.
Fernandez’s contractual position also gives Chelsea significant protection. The 25-year-old is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2032, meaning the club are not facing an immediate risk of losing him without a substantial fee being agreed.
As a result, the next development depends on whether Manchester City submit the required proposal before Friday evening. Unless the £120m offer is received by 17:00, Chelsea’s decision will be for Fernandez to stay.
For now, Fernandez remains a Chelsea player, with the club’s deadline establishing the terms under which the transfer could take place. The midfielder’s future is therefore set to be determined by the value and timing of any proposal rather than by an open-ended period of negotiations.
Romano’s update leaves a straightforward outcome. A bid worth £120m, or €140m, must reach Chelsea by the specified deadline for the move to remain possible. If that does not happen, Fernandez will continue under a contract that runs through to 2032.
The situation has therefore entered its final hours, with Manchester City required to act before the deadline expires if they want to take the transfer forward.
