Chelsea Eye Enzo Fernandez Succession Plan After ‘Verbal Agreement’

Manchester City have stepped up their pursuit of Enzo Fernández after agreeing personal terms with the midfielder, and Chelsea have responded by identifying his replacement, according to reports.

The 25-year-old’s future has dominated the discourse for much of the summer amid initial links with Real Madrid—which were quickly dismissed by the Spanish giants—and a reunion with his former manager Enzo Maresca is now on the cards.

City have seen midfielders Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González all leave this summer, and they have only signed two replacements to date in Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Maresca wants to add another midfielder to his roster before the transfer deadline on Sept. 1 and Fabrizio Romano has revealed that City will soon make contact with Chelsea over a potential transfer.

Fernández now has a “verbal agreement” in place with his suitors, but any deal hinges on the price set by Chelsea. They demanded $162 million (£120 million) for the player earlier in the window when setting an Aug. 14 deadline for the switch to be completed, and they could raise their asking price now that date has long passed.

The Argentina international was omitted from Chelsea’s squad during Thursday’s Carabao Cup second round victory over Luton Town, with Xabi Alonso refusing to discuss his future after the full-time whistle.

Chelsea Identify Fernandez Successor

Lamine Camara of Monaco — Lamine Camara has emerged as a target for Chelsea. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

If Fernández leaves in the coming days, Chelsea appear set to turn their attention to Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara as his replacement, according to Romano.

The Blues have “made contact” with the player’s representatives and the 22-year-old is open to joining the club. Chelsea have also been in discussions with Monaco directly, although they’re awaiting further developments.

Camara has flourished during his last few seasons in France, making 74 appearances across all competitions for Monaco and supplying 17 goal contributions in total.

After impressing in Ligue 1 last season, he was named in the Senegal roster for the 2026 World Cup, where he made four appearances—taking his tally to 37 since debuting in January 2023.

Camara has earned renown for being an all-rounder in the center of the field, particularly impressing with his defensive acumen and press resistance. He could prove an excellent replacement for Fernández, even if he’s not as attack-minded.

Crystal Palace had shown significant interest in Camara earlier this summer and had an offer worth more than $47.4 million (£35 million) rejected, as per BBC Sport. Chelsea would likely have to surpass the bid made by their fellow Londoners to complete a deal.

Add us as a preferred source on Google