Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea-Man City £120m transfer deadline: The key questions answered

The Enzo Fernandez saga has rumbled on — but it might finally be concluding.

On Wednesday, The Athletic reported that Chelsea have set a deadline of 5pm on Friday (12pm ET) for Manchester City to make an offer for the Argentina international.

Chelsea have now made it clear that if City — or another club — do not meet their £120million ($16m) valuation of Fernandez by the deadline, he will not be leaving the club this summer.

But why have Chelsea put this into the public domain? Will City make a bid? Do Chelsea have ways to replace him? Do City really need him?

The Athletic has put a series of the key questions to Chelsea reporter Simon Johnson and City reporter Sam Lee. Their answers are below.

Why have Chelsea felt the need to put this out?

Simon Johnson: Chelsea’s first game of the new season is under two weeks away, and understandably they do not want this saga dragging on for the rest of the month, therefore providing a big distraction.

The club have been clear with their valuation of Fernandez from the get-go, so the message is quite simple: pay up or don’t. They also do not want to be scrambling late in the window for a replacement.

New manager Xabi Alonso has spoken to Fernandez since taking over and is happy to have him in his plans. Chelsea are also prepared to welcome him back into the fold after the events near the end of last season, which included handing him a two-game ban for comments made in interviews about club decisions as well as appearing to flirt with Real Madrid.

Chelsea believe he can thrive under Alonso’s direction and want the circus around his future to end.

Given the price Manchester City paid for Anderson (£116m) and Tottenham’s £100m on Sandro Tonali, charging £120m for a World Cup winner will seem justified to those at Stamford Bridge.

Xabi Alonso has spoken to Enzo Fernandez (Peksi Cahyo/Getty Images)

Does it feel like City will make a bid of £120m?

Sam Lee: An overall price of £120m feels very steep, and it is much easier to imagine them trying to bring the price down. However, they are very keen to sign him and have been all summer.

City are determined to back Enzo Maresca this summer, and that includes the desire to sign Fernandez. City will be trying to find out whether Chelsea’s stance is not quite as firm in private as it is in public, even if their decision to set a public price and deadline implies otherwise.

Is it only City who have been pursuing the midfielder?

Simon Johnson: No, other Champions League clubs hold an interest. But there are not many in the game that can afford a fee like this, which is part of the problem if Fernandez has his heart set on a move elsewhere. It should be stressed the 25-year-old has never specifically said in an interview that he wants out.

Talk of a desire to live in Madrid one day prompted a lot of speculation earlier this year. The La Liga club took the rare step of releasing a statement last month insisting they were not pursuing him as a target.

Are there other midfielders City can go after if Fernandez is off the table?

Sam Lee: I’m sure they will have options, but Fernandez is certainly the first choice.

If that does not happen, then they will have to decide whether the others are as suitable, or worth splashing out on.

Why has Fernandez suddenly become an option again for City?

Sam Lee: They had identified him as one of their very top targets before the end of last season.

The relatively late nature of the push may come down to the fact that it has taken a while to get to a position where Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders are edging close to an exit from the club.

Rodri could leave City this summer (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)

Would Chelsea have options to replace him if they needed to?

Simon Johnson: Alonso can call upon six others to play in midfield right now: Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Jordan Henderson, Valentin Barco and captain Reece James. It is very early in their development too, but the Chelsea manager was very impressed with 16-year-olds Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli and Reggie Watson on the pre-season tour.

Now it should be highlighted that Chelsea had a £64m bid for Bournemouth’s Alex Scott turned down earlier in the window, which indicates how they have other names on their wishlist.

It is customary for all clubs to build an extensive list of possible targets for the near and long-term.

However, it is not easy to get the players you want this late into a window, and the selling club will also know Chelsea have £120m in their bank account if Fernandez goes, meaning they are likely to raise their asking price accordingly.

Would it be better for Chelsea if he leaves or stays?

Simon Johnson: You could say they are in a bit of a win-win situation, as they either keep Fernandez or add £120m to the bank, but they are better off having him remaining in the fold.

It is better if Fernandez stays. Only Joao Pedro (20) scored more than his 15 goals for Chelsea last season, and he got to that figure despite playing in a deeper position.

Yes, there are things he needs to improve on, particularly his discipline and the needless bookings for dissent.

There are sections of the fanbase that will not be sorry to see him go after the things he has said and done this year. But Fernandez is a hard man to replace.

Working with a former world-class midfielder in Alonso will surely take his game on to another level. Fernandez has a mean streak on the pitch which, when channelled the right way, is needed if you want to win big trophies.

Opposition fans are likely going to boo him for his role in England’s defeat to Argentina at the World Cup, where he was arguably the best on the pitch. But that is more likely going to make him raise his game, rather than affect his confidence.

Fernandez was a key player for Chelsea last year (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Do City need him?

Sam Lee: That is a matter of debate among the fanbase!

Maybe one of the mistakes people are making is that he is being thought of as a Rodri replacement, though that is not really his game.

Personally, I believe he is a top player who performs a slightly different role, and while he is not the best out of possession, I do believe he has certain intangible qualities that are really useful. I think he’s a clutch player and somebody who brings incredible intensity.

While it would be very different to the Bernardo Silva and Rodri days, and does not look anywhere near as controlled, a midfield of Fernandez and Elliot Anderson is absolutely fascinating if nothing else.

In short, yes, I think they do need him.