Mega deal isn't world-class! Will this scandal-hit star be a flop? | OneFootball

Looking at the top 20 of the past two Ballon d’Or votes, one name is conspicuously missing: Enzo Fernández.

So far, the Argentine has never really played a major role in the World Player of the Year vote, and yet Manchester City paid Chelsea around €145 million for the midfielder just a few days ago. Have they made a huge mistake?

Okay, ever since Robert Lewandowski failed to win the Ballon d’Or in 2021 at the latest, we’ve known that things do not always go entirely fairly in that vote. Even so, there have recently been quite a few players who clearly performed better than Fernández.

Chelsea’s chief orchestrator led the Blues to a disappointing tenth-place finish last season. In the Champions League, the London club crashed out heavily against PSG in the round of 16 (2:8 on aggregate). And now he is supposed to lead the Sky Blues to titles on both the domestic and international stage?

Of course, City did not sign Fernández entirely without reason. The 25-year-old possesses enormous playmaking qualities. His vision, passing ability, and finishing quality in particular are in some ways strongly reminiscent of City legend Kevin De Bruyne.

At this year’s World Cup, the Argentine also proved that he can become the difference-maker in decisive moments.

In the round of 16, he headed La Albiceleste through against Egypt in stoppage time (3:2). In the 2:1 semi-final win over England, he made it 1:1 with a powerful long-range strike in the 85th minute, at least offering a glimpse of why Chelsea had already invested €121 million in Fernández before City. In the final, however, he also showed his other side.

After a crude and completely unnecessary kick at Spain’s Cubarsí, Fernández was sent off with a second yellow. If the 25-year-old completely loses control, it could become a massive problem for City.

In spring 2026, Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior suspended him for two matches after Fernández had openly flirted with a move to Real Madrid on Argentine television during an international break: “I would love to live in Madrid,” he stressed, while Chelsea were in the middle of a crisis.

Before that, according to 'The Athletic', Fernández had repeatedly caused friction in the dressing room. In the summer of 2024, he also caused a stir when, after Argentina’s Copa América triumph, he allegedly joined his teammates in directing racist and homophobic chants at the French national team.

Despite all these incidents, City brought Fernández to Manchester a few days ago. Could the coach perhaps have had a hand in it?

Enzo Maresca, who took over Pep Guardiola’s huge legacy in the summer, coached Fernández at Chelsea until January 2026 and, according to 'Sky', has a special relationship with his new midfield star.

📸 Buda Mendes - 2025 Getty Images

“I learned so much from him,” Fernández enthused after his move, when asked about his new old coach. Can he also learn from Maresca how to finally mature into a world-class player and leave the escapades of the past behind him?

Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé proved under Luis Enrique that a professional with enormous potential, but who mainly made headlines for things off the pitch, can become one of the best players in the world. The emphasis, however, is very clearly on “can.”

Because right now, Fernández probably is not even one of the best players in the Premier League. Even if money obviously no longer matters in England, Manchester City still has to face the question of whether this transfer was really the right decision in the end.

Not that in just a few months we’ll be talking about a €145 million transfer flop.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Ryan Pierse - 2026 Getty Images