Lille U19 · Coupe de France · Midfielder · #32 · France · 18 yrs
Enzo Fernandez, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Elliot Anderson are all players comfortable across several positions in Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca's system. The main difference between the two shapes is that the former has two natural holding midfielders and the second a single holding midfielder. Against Bournemouth, Marc Guehi paired Anderson at the base of midfield.
Manchester City spent a Premier League record £458m in the summer transfer window to complete a rapid rebuild of the squad. The midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi have been brought in to the tune of more than £300m, replacing the departed Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez. Iliman Ndiaye, Allan and Geronimo Rulli were the other first-team players brought in by the club during this transfer window.
Chelsea are set to sell Enzo Fernandez (Picture: Getty) Chelsea have finally agreed a deal to sell Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on transfer deadline day, according to reports. Fernandez made it clear earlier in the summer that he wanted to leave Stamford Bridge and has continued to push for a move towards the end of the window. Chelsea spent over £100m to sign Fernandez from Benfica in 2023 and the Argentine has been a mainstay in the team ever since. But Fernandez’s desire to leave became apparent last season when he repeatedly flirted with Real Madrid while refusing to commit his long-term future to Chelsea. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. The 25-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2022 before being sent off in this summer’s final, was dreaming of a move to the Bernabeu but a deal failed to materialise. Man City have continued to show interest, however, with Pep Guardiola’s replacement Enzo Maresca keen to reunite with a player he managed at Chelsea. City missed the deadline Chelsea set to buy Fernandez for £120m but talks have continued in the past week despite their £86m move for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: Getty) L’Equipe say Chelsea and Manchester City have now reached an agreement over a deal for Fernandez worth 140m euros (£120m) before add-ons. The report adds that the deal still needs to be finalised in writing before Fernandez can undergo a medical at the Etihad Stadium. Depending on the value of the bonuses, Fernandez could become the most expensive player in Premier League history, surpassing the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak. Fernandez is closing in on a huge move (Picture: Getty) Fernandez was left out of Chelsea’s first two Premier League games of the new season, a 3-2 win over Fulham and an equally thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton. He is set to join a Man City team who also boast a perfect record after two games, with Maresca’s side coming from behind to beat Bournemouth before an emphatic win at Crystal Palace. Speaking before the final day of the transfer window, Frank Leboeuf claimed ‘nobody’ wanted Fernandez at Chelsea and urged his former club to sanction his exit before the deadline. ‘Enzo Fernandez, I think he’s gone,’ Leboeuf said on ESPN. ‘Look at the case with Julian Alvarez. ‘A club can fight and try to keep a player but if the player wants to go, he has to go because there is no way that he would be fully fit, fully fit also psychologically, to give 100 per cent. ‘I think nobody wants Enzo Fernandez to stay. It’s time for him to go because he decided to go because he showed last season because of his comment that he wants to leave. So, bye-bye. Good luck.’ Presuming the deal goes through, Fernandez could make his Manchester City debut on Saturday when Coventry City visit the Etihad Stadium. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club discussed Manchester City's late move for Chelsea's £120m-rated Enzo Fernandez, despite already signing midfielders Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer. As reported by BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, Enzo Maresca is keen to reunite with his former player, who is also open to moving to Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) Chelsea have reached an agreement with Monaco to sign Lamine Camara, handing Manchester City a huge boost in their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez. The Blues expressed interest in Senegal international Camara as Fernandez continues to push for a move away from Stamford Bridge. Fernandez, who won the World Cup in 2022 before being sent off in this summer’s final, was hoping to join Real Madrid earlier in the summer but a dream move to the Bernabeu fell through. Man City have continued to show interest, however, with Pep Guardiola’s replacement Enzo Maresca keen to reunite with a player he managed at Chelsea. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. City missed the deadline Chelsea set to sell Fernandez for £120m but talks have continued in the past week despite their £86m move for Ayyoub Bouaddi. Chelsea suggested they would ask for even more than the originally quoted £120m for Fernandez if the deadline passed but a deal is in the best interest of all parties as the Argentine was not even included in Sunday’s matchday squad against Brighton. But Xabi Alonso has been waiting to sign a new midfielder before sanctioning Fernandez’s exit and has made Camara his top target. Incoming Chelsea signing Lamine Camara (Picture: Getty) The 22-year-old has enjoyed two impressive seasons at French side Monaco and earned 49 caps for Senegal, featuring heavily during this summer’s World Cup. Liverpool, Manchester United and Crystal Palace were all heavily linked with Camara at the start of the summer window but Chelsea are set to win the transfer race. Reports in France say Camara will sign for Chelsea in ‘the coming hours’ after the Blues agreed a £38m deal with Monaco. Enzo Fernandez could be sold to Manchester City (Picture: Getty) Camara’s arrival in west London will pave the way for Fernandez’s exit, providing Manchester City are willing to meet Chelsea’s steep demands. Chelsea are working hard to sign Camara after welcoming World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez to the club from Aston Villa. Martinez, who has immediately replaced Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s No. 1, made his debut in Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 win over Brighton. New Chelsea signing Emiliano Martinez (Picture: Getty) Discussing Martinez’s signing, Alonso said: ‘It’s great to have him. We saw that even today. ‘Even if we conceded three goals, he had a straight impact and he helped the team really well. We are happy we have him. ‘He is a great personality and a great goalkeeper. His expression and his charisma influence the rest of the team.’ Martinez, meanwhile, said: ‘I spoke with Chelsea legends John Terry and Petr Cech. I know how big this club is and what we want to achieve this season. ‘I came here to help. I had an amazing seven years at Aston Villa. I have come here to challenge and to try and win the Premier League. ‘I trained only one day with the team. The guys have treated me really well in the last day or two. I know the talent we have up front. I try to bring that solidity in the back.’ Chelsea boast a perfect record after their opening three games of the season, having beaten Fulham before Brighton in the Premier League and easing past Luton Town in the Carabao Cup. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Joe Hart says Man City have ‘sent a real message’ to their rivals (Photo: Getty) Joe Hart has named the key player Manchester City must sign to help them challenge the likes of Arsenal for the Premier League title. City have had a shaky start to life under Enzo Maresca, losing 3-0 in the Community Shield to the Gunners before only narrowly beating Bournemouth at home in their Premier League opener. But they looked back to their imperious best on Friday night, thumping Crystal Palace 4-1 at Selhurst Park, with Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki bagging braces. Arsenal remain the firm favourites to retain the title this season, but Hart believes this victory was a real statement of intent from the Citizens. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. ‘They’re by no means the finished article under Maresca. He knows that and the team know that and there were some difficult moments tonight,’ the legendary City goalkeeper told Premier League Productions. ‘Thought Palace had their moments where they could be in the game, but when City were on, they were hot. I think that sends a real message to the Premier League. ‘They were just as dominant as Arsenal were in their opening game and as impressive as they were. Maybe not for the full 90 minutes, but Manchester City really looked good today. Erling Haland is the only centre-forward in Man City’s first-team (Photo: Getty) ‘And with bringing [Ayyoub] Bouaddi on and potentially some more signings in the window, really good, really encouraging.’ After selling Omar Marmoush to Tottenham, Haaland is the only centre-forward in Maresca’s first-team and former Palace striker Glenn Murray believes that could be a problem. ‘It’s world class, that’s what it is and when he [Haaland] is on form like this for Manchester City, it’s a scary proposition,’ he said. Man City have been linked with Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo (Photo: Getty) ‘But is it going to be enough? Do they need somebody else as well to carry that burden throughout this season?’ Hart completely agreed, urging Maresca to make a signing, amid rumours the Citizens are interested in Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and former player Julian Alvarez, who has been linked with a big money move to Arsenal. ‘He’s been very used to having summers off and he’s just had an amazing, big summer [at the World Cup],’ the former England international said. ‘Of course, he’s enjoyed it and it’s grown him, scored some amazing goals, but that is taxing. ‘That Norway team’s good, every two years [World Cup and European Championships] and the Nations League now. ‘He’s going to have so many games, he’s going to need some help.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
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