Fernandez transfers to Man City from Chelsea in joint British record fee

Argentina international Enzo Fernandez signs for Manchester City in a deal from Chelsea worth 125 million pounds ($169m).Manchester City equalled the British transfer fee record for a player when they signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea on deadline day for deals in Europe.The 25-year-old Argentina international, who was part of his country’s team that reached the 2026 World Cup final, had long been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘No one else like him’: Argentinians rally for Lionel Messilist 2 of 4Lionel Messi’s Argentina career in numbers: Records, goals, trophieslist 3 of 4‘You are eternal’: Football world pays tribute to Argentina’s Lionel Messilist 4 of 4‘The time has come’: Messi retires from international footballend of listThe deal, however, was stretched to the final few minutes of the summer transfer window, which shut at 22:00 GMT on Tuesday.City confirmed the deal with a video on the social media platform X, with the fee matching the 125 million pounds ($169m) that Liverpool paid Newcastle for Alexander Isak last summer.The deal seemed to have been agreed upon between the clubs hours before the window shut, allowing for the player to complete a medical, but doubts about the deal started to emerge with the clock ticking on the deadline.Fernandez himself had taken to his Instagram page ahead of the deadline on Tuesday to bid farewell to Chelsea fans.“I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either. The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place,” Fernandez wrote in a message directed to fans of the London club.“Three years ago, Cobham [the club’s training ground] and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family.“Believe me when I say that, from the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves.“We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones.”Fernandez was part of the Chelsea side that won the UEFA Conference League in 2025 before going on to claim the expanded FIFA Club World Cup that year.