Enzo Fernandez Committed to Chelsea Amid Transfer Speculation

Enzo Fernandez will start the season as a Chelsea player, and Xabi Alonso insists his midfielder is acting like one who plans to make an impact rather than engineer an exit.

Chelsea had agreed with Fernandez's agent, Javier Pastore, back in late May that the Argentina international could leave for £120m, with a hard deadline of 14 August for any club willing to pay it. That date came and went last Friday without a formal bid. The message from Stamford Bridge since has been blunt: Fernandez is not for sale in this window.

Manchester City have not been discouraged. Enzo Maresca, now in charge at the Etihad after working with Fernandez at Chelsea, wants to reunite with the 25‑year‑old and City believe the London club still see room for a deal. The saga has rumbled on in the background all summer.

On the training pitch, Alonso says the noise has not reached his player.

“Enzo is a Chelsea player. We are happy with him and he's getting ready for Monday,” the head coach said on Thursday, when asked whether Fernandez would still be at Stamford Bridge when the transfer window closes on 1 September.

Chelsea open their Premier League campaign away at Fulham, and Alonso painted the picture of a midfielder fully locked in. He stressed that Fernandez has “integrated really well” since rejoining the group after the World Cup and is “training really well”.

“I see him with a really good attitude and that's what we want,” Alonso added.

The price tag, the deadline, the interest from the champions – all of that will swirl again before 1 September. For now, Alonso has his man, and Fernandez has a season to justify exactly why City are circling.