Manchester City have completed the signing of Enzo Fernandes from Chelsea in a deal that equals a British record.
Fernandes arrives at the Etihad Stadium for a fee of 125 million pounds, which is equivalent to the amount Liverpool paid to Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer.
As was the case with that deal, City’s pursuit of Fernandes continued until the final day of the window, but ended with them getting the final piece of the puzzle in terms of revamping their midfield.
Fernandes becomes Manchester City’s ninth signing of the summer and the third midfielder they have added to their squad following the £116m acquisition of Elliot Anderson and Ayoub Bouadi from Lille for £86m.
Former Lynchbein midfielder Rodri has left to join Barcelona, with Nico Gonzalez moving to Newcastle and Bernardo Silva and Tijani Reynders signing for Real Madrid and Al Qadisiyah respectively.
Fernandes ‘couldn’t be happier’ with City move
City will now look for Fernandes to form a fearsome combination with Anderson and Boadi after reuniting with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Fernandez promised to do everything in his power to make sure that is the case.
He added: “Manchester City is the most successful club in England in recent times.” The club’s official website said.
“Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well City are run.
“I couldn’t be happier to be here and I’m ready to take on the challenge of helping City keep winning trophies. This is a club built for success.”
“If you look at the team, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player.
“I’m proud of myself because I’m constantly improving in my game. Anyone who has worked with me will know how hard I train every day and how much I give in games. I give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City to keep that up now that I’m here.
“I want to thank Hugo (Viana), Enzo, Khaldoon (Al Mubarak) and everyone at City who made this deal possible. I want to take the trust you have shown in me and repay it as soon as possible.”
Fernandes “a complete midfielder”
The fee City paid for Fernandes clearly reflects how much they value the Argentine international.
Fernandes scored 31 goals and provided 29 assists after joining Chelsea from Benfica in 2023, and sporting director Hugo Viana has been overwhelmed with praise for what he brings to the table.
“At Manchester City, we are always looking to bring in world-class players and Enzo fits the bill,” Viana said.
“He is a complete midfielder: technically gifted, hardworking, persistent and a goalscorer.
“He is adept at playing different styles of football. He is comfortable playing a possession-based game, and can counter-attack effectively as well.
He added: “Playing in two World Cup finals and winning major titles in so many countries at just 25 years old says everything you need to know about his mentality, professionalism and technical quality.
“We are thrilled to have him here and feel strongly that he will improve our team.”
