Manchester City have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign midfielder Enzo Fernández for £125 million, bringing a drawn-out deadline-day saga to a dramatic conclusion. The 25-year-old Argentina international has been granted permission to undergo a medical, clearing the way for a move that would equal the British transfer record set by Liverpool’s signing of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United last summer. Chelsea had valued Fernández at £120 million and previously set an August 14 deadline for any potential departure. City’s late intervention has now met the financial terms required to take the deal forward.
The transfer would reunite Fernández with Enzo Maresca, who previously managed the midfielder at Chelsea. City’s decision to commit such a substantial fee highlights the club’s desire to strengthen its midfield with a player capable of providing technical quality and creative control. The deal is one of the defining moves of a transfer window in which Premier League clubs have already spent £2.82 billion, with the record of £3.14 billion set in 2025 still within reach.
City are also reshaping other areas of their squad before the deadline. Jack Grealish is expected to return to Everton on another season-long loan, while the club are close to announcing the signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for £65 million. Tottenham had also been interested in the 26-year-old Senegal international, but City have won the race for his signature. The club’s focus on Fernández and Ndiaye follows the collapse of their pursuit of Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo after an £80 million offer, comprising £75 million plus £5 million in add-ons, was rejected.
Arsenal are involved in another major late-window negotiation, with the club targeting Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez. The Argentine reportedly prefers a move to Barcelona, but Atlético are unwilling to sell him to a direct La Liga rival. Arsenal could still persuade the Spanish club to agree a deal worth approximately £128 million if Álvarez accepts a move to North London.
Aston Villa have also completed a significant attacking addition by signing Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain for €55 million. Mbaye joins a forward line that includes Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho, reflecting Villa’s ambition to build a new-look attack. With the Premier League deadline set for 10 p.m. GMT, City’s Fernández agreement is one of several major deals shaping the final hours of the summer window.
