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Record Enzo deal agreed
Manchester City agreed a £125m deal to sign Enzo Fernández from Chelsea, equalling the British transfer record, with the deal described as a fixed fee with no add-ons or performance-related clauses.
“Manchester City have agreed a £125m deal to sign Enzo Fernández from Chelsea”
The London Evening Standard said Chelsea set an “arbitrary deadline” for offers of 5pm BST on Friday August 14, 2026 for bids for Fernández, and that City worked with Fernández’s agent Javier Pastore and Chelsea to agree terms for the 25-year-old.
NBC Sports said the Premier League window deadline was 6pm ET today, and it reported that Chelsea had given Fernández permission to complete his medical and sign a contract with Man City.
Sky Sports reported that the deal matches the British record transfer fee Liverpool paid for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak during last year’s summer Deadline Day, and said Fernández would take a medical and finalise his move to City.
The Guardian’s live blog also said City had signed Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye in a transfer worth a reported £65m in total, with £60m up front and £5m in add-ons, as the deadline-day churn continued across Europe.
Deadline-day quotes and timing
Sky Sports said the transfer window shuts at 11pm but clubs can submit deal sheets to give themselves an extra two hours to complete deals beyond the deadline, framing the final hours as a procedural race.
The Manchester Evening News reported that after 9pm (UK time), City can submit a deal sheet, allowing an extra two hours up until 1am (UK time) to complete deals, and it said City spent 24 hours negotiating with Chelsea over the fee.
Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports that “Manchester City look a lot stronger now,” adding that he would say they were “the biggest challengers to Arsenal right now.”
Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports that “Enzo Fernandez definitely wins,” arguing that Chelsea’s approach was about letting a player go if he does not want to be there.
NBC Sports’ live updates also listed other late moves, including Liverpool signing 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian side Genk for up to $40 million including add-ons, as clubs pushed to complete business before the clock ran out.
What changes for clubs
With the Fernández deal set, Sky Sports said Chelsea would make a £18m profit on the midfielder they signed for £107m three-and-a-half years ago, while it also described Chelsea as the Premier League’s biggest spenders and City as the biggest sellers in the window.
“Chelsea will make a £18m profit on the midfielder they signed for £107m”
The Telegraph said the agreement “brings to an end the biggest saga of the summer” and noted that City left it until the last day of the transfer window to strike an agreement after Chelsea decided that Fernández’s exit was in the best interests of the club.
The Independent said the story of the night concerned Malick Fofana, with Crystal Palace and Sunderland in a tug-of-war for the £30m Lyon winger, as City still awaited confirmation of the £60m arrival of Iliman Ndiaye.
NBC Sports reported that Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had officially moved to Serie A side Como, and it said it was thought to be an initial loan with an option, adding to the sense of rapid squad reshaping across leagues.
Meanwhile, The Guardian’s live coverage said Manchester United made a late enquiry for left-back Rayan Aït-Nouri but the 25-year-old would not be leaving, as the window’s final moves continued to shuffle roles and options for multiple clubs.