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Deadline passes, no bid
Chelsea set a 5pm BST deadline on Friday (August 14) for bids for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, and the Blues said they would not sanction his sale until summer 2027 at the earliest if no offer arrived by then.
“missing Chelsea's 5pm Friday deadline”
London Evening Standard Sport reported that Chelsea had received no bids yet for Fernandez as of 5pm on Thursday, 24 hours before the arbitrary deadline, and it said the deadline was intended to give new manager Xabi Alonso clarity about whether Fernandez would be in his squad.
Sky Sports said the 5pm Friday deadline passed with no offer made for the midfielder, and it added that it is now expected Fernandez will stay at Stamford Bridge for the 2026/27 season.
Sky Sports also said Chelsea value Fernandez at £120m and that the verbal acceptable terms and conditions made to Fernandez's representatives at the end of May are now off the table.
The New York Times reported that Chelsea expect Fernandez to stay after their self-imposed deadline passed without receiving a bid from Manchester City, and it said Chelsea indicated the verbal terms proposed to Fernandez’s camp at the end of May no longer stand.
Maresca stays tight-lipped
As the deadline approached, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca was tight-lipped on whether the club would make a move, telling reporters: "In this moment, again, I have to give you the same answer since day one," and adding that he would not speak about players not with his club.
The Daily Mirror quoted Maresca saying: "Not today to be honest, I don’t think we’re going to do something today," as Chelsea’s deadline passed without City making an offer.
Sky Sports framed the situation as a deadline Chelsea imposed themselves, with Sky Sports News' 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."
The London Evening Standard said there had been reporting in some sections of the media on Thursday that City had made a £102.5m bid and communicated it to Chelsea, but it said Standard Sport understands those reports are inaccurate and that Chelsea had received no bids yet as of 5pm on Thursday.
In the same Sky Sports report, it was also noted that there is no guarantee City will not still bid before the transfer window closes on September 1, with developments with Rodri described as a key factor.
What happens next
With Chelsea expecting Fernandez to remain, Sky Sports said the Blues now expect him to be with them for the entire 2026/27 season, and it added that there is no January sale in Chelsea’s stance.
“Chelsea now expect Fernandez to be with them for the entire 2026/27 season”
The London Evening Standard said Chelsea’s asking price is £120million net and that the deadline was meant to help give the club clarity about whether Xabi Alonso is preparing for his first campaign with Fernandez in his squad.
The New York Times reported that Fernandez trained as normal with the rest of the Chelsea squad on Friday despite the noise around his future, and it said Chelsea value the 25-year-old at £120million and insisted that if an offer of that figure did not arrive inside the outlined timeframe he will not leave the club this summer.
Sky Sports also connected the transfer saga to City’s wider midfield planning, saying City have targets in mind for any player who departs and are in ongoing talks with Lille for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
In the background of the deadline fallout, the Daily Mirror said Maresca conceded that City will not be offering a bid before the day is out, while it also pointed to Rodri’s next move with the Spaniard into the final year of his contract as a possible driver of any later action.
