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Chelsea have reportedly made Manchester City's pursuit of Enzo Fernández straightforward on paper, though transfer dealings rarely unfold so cleanly in practice.
Following months of swirling uncertainty surrounding his future, Chelsea's World Cup finalist has attracted firm interest from a City squad now managed by his former Blues head coach Enzo Maresca. Fernández is not regarded as off-limits by his current club, but any transaction will need to proceed entirely on Chelsea's terms.
Should City wish to bring Maresca back together with his former vice-captain, their Premier League counterparts have set the price at $162.1 million (£120 million), with any bid required before a firm deadline of Friday 5 p.m. U.K. time (12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT), as The Athletic first reported.
Why Have Chelsea Gone to Such Extremes?
The disruptive uncertainty that typically accompanies a transfer saga could theoretically be cut short by laying out blunt conditions. A cloud of speculation has hung over Fernández since March, when a string of provocative remarks about his future led Chelsea to hand him an internal suspension.
Relations have since been repaired and Xabi Alonso is expected to lean heavily on the dynamic Argentine if he stays in west London for the upcoming season. Chelsea's constant managerial turnover last campaign actually gave Fernández more Premier League starts and minutes than any other squad member.
Should City meet the asking price for the 25-year-old, Chelsea would require adequate time to find a suitable replacement. Versatile midfielders capable of chipping in with 10 league goals while also leading the side in chances created and finishing second in possessions won are not easy to come by — and they certainly won't come cheap. A market defined by staggering fees for central midfielders goes a long way toward explaining Fernández's hefty price tag.
The strategy makes considerable sense from Chelsea's perspective, though whether it will actually prove effective is an entirely different question.
Can Man City Be Bullied Into Fernandez Deal?
Ultimatums of any kind — not just those confined to the transfer market — seldom succeed. Clear-cut demands quickly take on the character of a threat, which only serves to irritate one of the parties involved in a deal already complex enough to warrant such bold action.
Chelsea's valuation of Fernández is no surprise to City. Largely driven by Maresca's appointment, the motivation to pursue the Argentina international has gained traction at the Etihad, yet any prospect of negotiating the fee downward has now been replaced by a loudly ticking clock.
City may face a void in the base of midfield if Rodri departs for Barcelona, though that is not a position Fernández would naturally fill. The former River Plate playmaker has frequently been deployed in a deeper role at Chelsea, especially early in his Stamford Bridge tenure, though his former boss Frank Lampard offered the backhanded compliment of calling him "the most natural six out of a midfield which doesn't have so many natural sixes."
Fernández has always seen his best role as something more advanced. "I've always felt comfortable playing near the goal, looking for pockets of space so I can create a chance or shoot," he has said previously.
Lille's gifted — and eye-wateringly priced — Ayyoub Bouaddi, a midfielder so defensively oriented he has never scored a senior goal, would be a far more natural fit as a Rodri successor, despite his limited experience at the top level. Fernández could certainly add his own qualities to a revamped City midfield that also lost Bernardo Silva this summer, but the club are not in a state of desperation that would naturally compel them to cave to an ultimatum.
What Happens If Man City Miss Chelsea's Deadline?
In theory, once the clock ticks past 5:01 p.m. on Friday, Chelsea's recruitment staff will follow the example of every disciplined office worker across the country and walk out the door, leaving the work phone and any incoming emails to echo into silence.
In reality, however, more than two weeks of the transfer window will still remain after Chelsea's self-imposed cutoff. If City were to return with a bid of, say, $160 million on Saturday, it would require extraordinary willpower for the Blues to refuse to even entertain the approach.
For all his attributes, Fernández is not a flawless player — which is precisely why Chelsea are open to offers in the first place. The untouchable core of Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and João Pedro, for instance, have not been subjected to the same availability.
Chelsea have attempted to draw a firm line in the sand with this ultimatum, but such lines have a habit of being washed away all too easily.