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Deadline passes, stay expected
Chelsea’s self-imposed deadline passed without Manchester City making a bid for Enzo Fernandez, and the west London club now expects the Argentina midfielder to stay at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.
“missing Chelsea's 5pm Friday deadline”
Sky Sports said the 5pm Friday deadline set by Chelsea for Man City to make their bid for Fernandez had passed with no offer made, and it was now expected he would remain for the entire 2026/27 season.
The BBC reported that Chelsea’s deadline for clubs to bid £120m for the 25-year-old had passed and that Chelsea now expect the Argentine to stay at the club this season.
Chelsea value Fernandez at £120million, and the BBC said the Blues told interested parties they had until 17:00 BST on Friday to make an offer for the midfielder.
City still weighing options
While Chelsea expect Fernandez to remain, the BBC said it is understood City do not see the potential transfer as being over and still think Chelsea want to do a deal.
Sky Sports linked City’s interest to developments with Rodri, noting that Barcelona had had two bids rejected by City for the Spain captain and that City do not want to sell him.
The BBC framed the timing as dependent on the Rodri situation, saying the answer to whether a Fernandez deal would rely on a Rodri exit was yes.
Sky Sports also quoted Alan Irwin saying: "This was a deadline Chelsea imposed themselves and Man City were unlikely to play ball with a club imposing their own transfer deadlines."
What happens next for Chelsea
Chelsea’s stance is that if an offer of £120m does not arrive inside the outlined timeframe, Fernandez will not leave the club this summer, and the BBC said Chelsea now hope to keep their vice-captain.
“they now expect the Argentine to stay at the club this season”
The BBC also described how the unofficial deadline differs from the actual transfer deadline, saying the actual transfer deadline is on Tuesday, 1 September at 23:00 BST.
Sky Sports said there is no guarantee that Man City will not still bid for Fernandez before the transfer window closes on September 1, and it added that developments with Rodri could be key.
The BBC said Maresca is a huge fan of Fernandez and that he played the Argentine in 79 of his 92 games in charge at Stamford Bridge, while also noting that the deal could fit multiple roles in a midfield reshaped around new signings like Elliot Anderson for £116m.
