Transfer Deadline for Enzo Fernández
Chelsea have established a deadline of 5pm BST on Friday for any club interested in signing midfielder Enzo Fernández. The club has set a valuation of £120m for the player. If an official bid for this amount is not received by the deadline, the 25-year-old will remain with Chelsea. The club’s position is that potential suitors, including Manchester City, have had two months during the transfer window to formalise their interest in Fernández.
Fernández, a World Cup winner at Qatar 2022, is seen as a player who could bring seniority and leadership. He has been identified as a potential replacement for Rodri in Enzo Maresca’s squad at Manchester City, should Rodri depart.
Manchester City’s Stance on Rodri
Manchester City have turned down a second offer from Barcelona for Rodri. The improved bid from Barcelona was approximately €60m (£51m), following an initial offer of €45m. City are reportedly seeking between £60m and £65m for the midfielder, who was part of the Spain World Cup squad.
Rodri, who is 30 years old, has indicated a preference to join Barcelona, suggesting his move to Camp Nou is largely anticipated. He has entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and is reportedly keen to return to Spain after seven years in Manchester. City are considering options to replace Rodri, with Fernández being one of the players admired by their new manager, Enzo Maresca.
City are also considering selling Tijjani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah to generate funds. Discussions are reportedly advanced for a package valued around €60m for the 28-year-old Dutch player, who joined City last summer.
Contract Extension and Other Transfer News
In other news from Manchester City, winger Jérémy Doku has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2031. The 24-year-old expressed his excitement for the new season under Enzo Maresca, noting that Maresca’s style of football is appreciated by the players. Doku also highlighted the support from City fans as a significant factor in his decision to sign the new contract.
Elsewhere in transfer discussions, Tottenham have engaged in advanced talks with Manchester City regarding the signing of Brazil winger Savinho, with a package around £60m believed to be sufficient for a deal. Aston Villa are nearing an agreement to sign Italian left-back Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid. Additionally, Nottingham Forest are set to acquire Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande from Sporting for £34m. Spain forward Ferran Torres, 26, has informed Barcelona of his desire to join Paris St-Germain after agreeing personal terms with the European champions.
Everton and Crystal Palace have held discussions about a potential swap deal involving English winger Dwight McNeil, 26, and Palace’s Wales winger Brennan Johnson, 25. Southampton’s Shea Charles could still move to Leeds if their offer exceeds Fulham’s current £30m bid for the Northern Ireland midfielder, 22. West Ham have reached an agreement in principle to sign Israel winger Manor Solomon, 27, from Tottenham. Fenerbahce are also set to finalise a deal to sign Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, 33, from Napoli.
Source: theguardian.com