Enzo Fernandez: Explaining Chelsea’s Ultimatum to Man City

Chelsea have reportedly made Manchester City’s pursuit of Enzo Fernández incredibly simple, but rarely does the transfer market ever work out that way.

After several months of rampant uncertainty over his future, Chelsea’s World Cup runner-up has found himself the subject of concrete interest from a City side now helmed by his former Blues boss Enzo Maresca. Fernández is not considered untouchable by his current employers, but any deal will have to be played out on Chelsea’s terms.

If City are to reunite Maresca with his former vice-captain, they have been told by their Premier League rivals it will cost $162.1 million (£120 million) and any offer must be submitted before the hard deadline of Friday 5 p.m. U.K. time (12 p.m. ET, 9 a.m. PT), as The Athletic first reported.

Why Have Chelsea Gone to Such Extremes?

All the unhelpful uncertainty which comes with a transfer saga could theoretically be eliminated by the exchange of blunt terms. A thick fog of intrigue has been cloaked around Fernández since March, when a series of teasing comments about his future proved to be grounds for Chelsea to issue an in-house suspension.

Bridges have since been rebuilt and Xabi Alonso is expected to regularly call upon the all-action Argentine should he remain in west London for the coming campaign. Chelsea’s revolving door of coaches last term handed Fernández more Premier League starts and minutes than any other player.

If City do stump up the cash for the 25-year-old, Chelsea would need time to source his replacement. Versatile midfielders capable of contributing 10 top-flight goals while also leading the team for chances created and ranking second for possessions won are not readily available. They certainly won’t be cheap. A market which has been dominated by eye-watering fees for midfielders helps explain Fernández’s lofty valuation.

The tactic makes a lot of sense for Chelsea, but whether it would actually work is another matter entirely.

Can Man City Be Bullied Into Fernandez Deal?

Enzo Maresca, Enzo Fernandez — Enzo Maresca is keen to reunite with his namesake. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Ultimatums of any kind, let alone solely confined to the transfer market, rarely work. Clear terms suddenly take the form of a threat, which only serves to antagonize one of the parties involved in a deal already complicated enough to inspire such drastic action.

Chelsea’s asking price for Fernández is nothing new for City. Thanks in no small part to the appointment of Maresca, the encouragement to strike a deal for the Argentina international has been taken up at the Etihad, yet any hope of negotiating down that sum has now been replaced by a loudly ticking clock.

City will have a hole in the base of midfield should Rodri move to Barcelona, but that is not a slot Fernández would naturally plug. The former River Plate creator has often been used in a deep role for Chelsea, particularly at the start of his Stamford Bridge career, although his former manager Frank Lampard damned him with the faint praise of being “the most natural six out of a midfield which doesn’t have so many natural sixes.”

Fernández has always viewed his best position as something more attacking. “I’ve always felt comfortable playing near the goal, looking for pockets of space so I can create a chance or shoot,” he explained in the past.

Lille’s talented (and exceedingly expensive) Ayyoub Bouaddi, a midfielder so defensive he’s never scored a single senior goal, would be a far more natural Rodri replacement, despite his lack of experience. Fernández could bring his own talents to a new-look City midfield which also lost Bernardo Silva this summer, but the club aren’t in a position of peak desperation which would naturally give into an ultimatum.

What Happens If Man City Miss Chelsea’s Deadline?

Enzo Fernández. — Enzo Fernández is all ears. | Thomas COEX/AFP/Getty Images.

Theoretically, once the clock strikes 5:01 p.m. on Friday, Chelsea’s recruitment team will follow the trend set by every disciplined office worker across the country and head out of the door, leaving the work phone and any emails to scream into the void.

However, there will still be more than two weeks of the transfer window remaining after Chelsea’s self-imposed deadline. If City return with an offer of $160 million, for example, on Saturday, it would take an iron-clad resolve for the Blues to not even consider the approach.

For all his qualities, Fernández is not the perfect player—which is why Chelsea are willing to entertain any offers in the first place. The untouchable trio of Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and João Pedro, for example, have not been subjected to the same treatment.

Chelsea have tried to draw a line in the sand with this ultimatum, but those can get very easily washed away.

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