Man City have failed to submit a bid for Enzo Fernandez before Chelsea's self-imposed 5pm Friday deadline, leaving the Argentina international expected to remain at Stamford Bridge for the entirety of the 2026/27 season.

Chelsea value the 25-year-old midfielder at £120 million. With no offer arriving by the cut-off point, the club have also withdrawn the verbal terms that had been made available to potential suitors since the end of May.

Where the transfer saga stands

The window does not shut until September 1, and City have not ruled out returning with a formal bid before then. Much could depend on the situation surrounding Rodri. Barcelona have had two offers rejected by City for the Spain captain, and City remain determined to keep him and tie him to a new deal — his current contract expires next summer.

Should Barcelona eventually agree a fee that satisfies City for Rodri, then City might revisit the idea of moving for Fernandez. Chelsea, however, have made clear they will not sell the player in this window or in January, regardless of any approach.

City are already active in the transfer market. They are in discussions with Lille over Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi and have completed the £116 million signing of central midfielder Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

Background and tensions

Chelsea signed Fernandez from Benfica in the 2023 winter window for approximately £107 million, making their current £120 million asking price a modest premium over that original outlay.

Relations between the two clubs have been notably strained following the circumstances of Enzo Maresca's departure from Chelsea. Man City paid £17 million in compensation to appoint Maresca this summer, after he resigned from Stamford Bridge at the end of 2025 with three-and-a-half years still remaining on his contract, having been approached about succeeding Pep Guardiola.

Chelsea set the Friday deadline partly to avoid a repeat of the disruption caused by Maresca's shock exit, which was announced on New Year's Day. The club's position is that interested parties have had nearly two months to make a move for Fernandez, and they want new manager Xabi Alonso and his squad to prepare for the season without further distraction.

Fernandez himself was dropped for two matches in April after publicly admitting he would welcome a move to Madrid. He and his agent later apologised for those remarks, amid reports that the player had been seeking improved contract terms at Chelsea. Real Madrid issued a statement earlier this summer denying any intention to sign him.