EPL: Chelsea demand £120m for Fernandez, set Friday deadline

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Chelsea have set a Friday deadline for clubs interested in Enzo Fernandez to submit offers of at least £120m for the midfielder.

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The Argentina international has faced uncertainty over his future at Stamford Bridge since March, when he raised the possibility of leaving for Real Madrid.

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Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, subsequently claimed his client was underpaid and wanted to leave after a difficult season for Chelsea.

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The club finished 10th in the Premier League and ended the campaign without a trophy after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City.

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Real Madrid have since indicated they have no intention of signing Fernandez, leaving Manchester City as the only known potential suitor.

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City are yet to indicate whether they would be prepared to meet Chelsea’s £120m valuation, with the club also targeting Lille midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi.

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As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, Chelsea have set 17:00 BST on Friday as the deadline for offers and are expected to stand firm on their asking price, despite having paid £107m to sign Fernandez from Benfica in 2023.

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The deadline is designed to bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding the 25-year-old before the new season begins. Chelsea believe they have given Fernandez and interested clubs around 60 days to complete a deal at what they consider a fair price.

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New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has spoken to Fernandez about his future but has declined to reveal details of their conversation.

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The club have made it clear they are willing to fully reintegrate Fernandez into the squad and continue to regard him as a key player if no suitable offer arrives.

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Fernandez scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 54 appearances last season. He then helped Argentina reach the World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain after Fernandez was sent off.

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The midfielder returned to Chelsea training this week for the first time under Alonso, with his future now set to be decided by Friday’s deadline.

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