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Chelsea set £120m Enzo Fernandez transfer deadline as Xabi Alonso takes control Chelsea have taken a strong stance on a potential sale of the midfielder this summer Chelsea have given clubs a deadline to pay £120 million if they wish to sign Enzo Fernandez before the end of the transfer window. Manchester City have been strongly linked with an interest in the Argentine. football.london understands that the Blues have set a deadline of Friday at 5pm for City, or any other interested clubs to pay the £120 million price tag they have put on his head. Xabi Alonso wants the situation sorted before the season opener against Fulham in just over a week. City's interest in Fernandez has ramped up in recent days, with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca keen on a reunion with his former player. Fernandez could be viewed as a replacement for Rodri, who looks likely to leave Man City for Barcelona. FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page Fernandez informed Chelsea of his desire to leave Stamford Bridge this summer back in May. Real Madrid were then favourites for his signature, before the club released a public statement claiming that they will not be purusing a move in the current transfer window. Should the deadline not be met by City, or any other club, then Fernandez is expected to be part of Alonso's squad for the season opener against Fulham. The Blues make the short journey to Craven Cottage on Monday, August 24 (8pm kick-off) as they look to get their season off to a positive start. Speaking about Fernandez's future last month, Alonso said: "Yes, we have spoken but as you can understand what we have spoken remains private." The midfielder arguably shown his best performances under the guaidance of Maresca, during the Italian coach's time at Chelsea. In his 54 Premier League games under Maresca, Fernandez scored 11 goals and provided eight assists. Speaking last season about Maresca's exit from Chelsea, the 25-year-old, didn't hold back on his thoughts. he told Mexican outlet TUDN back in March: "I don’t understand it either. "Sometimes there are things that we as players don’t understand, how and in what way they try to manage things. "Obviously, it was a departure that hurt us a lot because we had an identity. He gave us an order, even though, as is the way of football, sometimes it’s good and bad. "But he always had a very clear identity when it came to training and playing, and obviously his departure hurt us a lot, especially in the middle of the season, it cuts everything short." Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts. This introductory offer saves £384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.