Manchester City reach preliminary agreement to sign Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez

Manchester City have reached a preliminary agreement with Chelsea to sign Enzo Fernandez, with the transfer close to completion in the final hours before the transfer window closes.

The Premier League clubs opened direct negotiations over the 25-year-old midfielder on Monday, according to the British newspaper The Sun. The Argentina international is now waiting for permission to undergo a medical before the move can be formally completed.

Fernandez is facing a race against time to finalise the transfer before the deadline, which is scheduled for 23:00 local time on Tuesday.

Transfer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has also confirmed that Manchester City have reached an initial agreement for Fernandez. The deal remains subject to the outstanding formal steps, including the player’s medical examination.

The proposed move would see Fernandez reunite with Enzo Maresca, his former manager at Chelsea. Maresca succeeded Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager at the Etihad Stadium during the summer.

Chelsea and their manager, Xabi Alonso, have not commented on Fernandez’s future. The midfielder was left out of the squad for Sunday’s match against Brighton, adding to speculation that his time at Stamford Bridge could be coming to an end.

Asked whether the World Cup winner had played his final game for the London club, Alonso said: “We will see… we want the best for the team, and that is why we made the decision against Luton and today. Whatever happens before Tuesday evening, we need to be aware of what develops.”

He added: “We are not sure. We are preparing for all scenarios, but I am certain that whatever happens from Wednesday onwards, we will have a squad good enough to compete in every Premier League match.”

Fernandez previously criticised Chelsea’s management after Maresca was dismissed in January.

Speaking to Mexican broadcaster TUDN, the midfielder said: “I don’t understand it. Sometimes there are things that we as players do not understand, and how and in what way they try to manage things.”

He continued: “Clearly, it was a departure that hurt us a lot, especially in the middle of the season, because it cuts everything off suddenly.”

Fernandez also defended the identity Maresca had established at Chelsea, saying: “We had an identity. He gave us a system, although by the nature of football, things are sometimes good and sometimes bad. But he always had a very clear identity when it came to coaching and playing.”

Chelsea have already entered discussions over a possible deal for Roma midfielder Manu Kone, who could be considered as a potential replacement for Fernandez.

The transfer talks are taking place with the window approaching its 23:00 deadline, leaving all parties with limited time to complete the remaining stages of the proposed move.