Chelsea's Stance on Enzo Fernández Amid Manchester City Interest

Xabi Alonso has refused to promise that Chelsea will stand firm if Manchester City come hard for Enzo Fernández.

The midfielder’s future is still hanging in the balance. Chelsea’s unofficial deadline for written bids of £120m for the 25-year-old Argentina international has passed, but the prospect of him walking out of Stamford Bridge has not. Not yet.

City, reshaping their midfield after Rodri’s move to Barcelona, have put Fernández high on their list and are weighing up a move before the window closes. They are also tracking Roma’s Manu Koné, but Fernández is viewed as a marquee piece in that rebuild.

Chelsea know they are in a delicate position. Fernández has made no secret of his wish to leave, and Alonso chose his words carefully when asked if the club-record signing would still be in his squad at the end of the month.

“Enzo is a Chelsea player,” the former Real Madrid manager said. “He’s a top player. He’s training really well since he started 10 days ago with the team. Very integrated, and we are happy with him. He’s getting ready for Monday.”

No pledge. No guarantee. Just the here and now.

Chelsea start their Premier League season away at Fulham on Monday night and Fernández is expected to be involved. When Alonso was pressed again on whether the £106.7m midfielder had told him he wanted to stay, he stepped around it.

“He’s training really well. I see him with a good attitude. That’s what we want. Everyone is trying their best to prepare for the kick off of the Premier League.”

Behind the scenes, Chelsea are braced for movement. If Fernández goes, they want a replacement lined up. They are strong admirers of Bournemouth’s Alex Scott but have already seen one offer for the 22-year-old turned down and have been told Bournemouth intend to resist any sale this summer.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is viewed as an alternative option, though he is hardly an easy target either. City have already had a bid for the England midfielder rejected by Palace, underlining how fierce the market is for top young midfielders.

While the Enzo saga dominates the headlines, Alonso is also trying to streamline a bloated squad before the deadline. Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu have all slipped down the pecking order up front and are expected to move on if suitable deals emerge.

Delap has no shortage of admirers. Everton, Leeds, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest are all tracking the striker as they look to add goals before the season settles into rhythm.

There is business to be done on the defensive front as well. Palace want to strengthen at the back and are pushing to take Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea, who also hold interest in Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto as they reshape the squad around Alonso’s plans.

For now, though, everything at Stamford Bridge feels tied to one question: does a serious bid for Enzo Fernández finally land on the table before the window slams shut?