Man City Bid For Enzo Fernandez Denied Amid €120M Chelsea Offer Speculation | OneFootball

Manchester City are yet to make an official offer for Enzo Fernandez despite speculation over a bid for the Chelsea midfielder.

Reports out of Argentina have claimed Man City have made a €120 million bid for Fernandez.

It was suggested Man City have made the bid at the request of former Blues boss and their current head coach, Enzo Maresca. The Italian is said to be pushing to finalise a deal to reunite him with the midfielder.

However, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chelsea have yet to receive any official offer for Fernandez, which could indicate that bids have either been made verbally or not at all.

Club sources have denied receiving any bid for Fernandez on Thursday.

Chelsea have set Manchester City a deadline of this Friday at 5pm (UK) to meet their £120 million asking price, with the Blues making it clear they will not sell if the offer is not matched in time.

The move would represent a significant acquisition for Man City, with Maresca understood to view the 25-year-old as a key part of his plans in Manchester, despite already signing Elliot Anderson for over £100 million.

Chelsea signed Fernandez from Benfica in January 2023 for a then-British record fee of £106.8m, and the club are clearly determined not to let him leave for anything less than a significant profit on that initial outlay.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, who was named as manager rather than head coach - the title his predecessor held, has already admitted he wishes to see Fernandez stay this summer.

"We have spoken. But, as you can understand, what we said will remain private," he said last month.

Will Fernandez stay or go this summer? Chelsea are calm about the situation amid their asking price. REUTERS

However, before the Spaniard officially took over as Chelsea manager, the Argentine midfielder's future at the club had been uncertain amid links to both Real Madrid and Man City, amid a potential desire to leave following the club's failure to qualify for European football in 2026-27.

Fernandez's agent, Javier Pastore, also confirmed in July that he would be exploring potential transfer options for the midfielder while simultaneously negotiating an improved contract with the Blues.

Fernandez featured in 54 Chelsea appearances last season, more than any other player at the club and contributed 10 Premier League goals and four assists, second only to Joao Pedro in attacking output. He remains contracted at Stamford Bridge until June 2032, giving Chelsea considerable leverage in any negotiations.

Both Manchester City and Fernandez's representatives have been formally informed of Chelsea's August 14 deadline, with the club looking to resolve the situation ahead of their Premier League season opener against Fulham on August 24.

Moises Caicedo, meanwhile, has publicly expressed his desire to continue playing alongside Fernandez, adding further weight to the Chelsea dressing room's keenness to see the Argentine stay.

With the clock ticking, Man City are running out of time if they want to sign the midfielder this summer.