Manchester City offers 145 million euros for Enzo Fernandez as player pushes for deal before deadline

The European transfer window still has one chapter left to write, and it has a name: Enzo Fernandez. Manchester City has once again put an offer of 145 million euros (about 169 million dollars) on Chelsea's table for the World Cup winning midfielder, according to ESPN. And this time there's an extra wrinkle: the player himself is reportedly pushing to get the deal finalized before Tuesday, when the window closes.

The backdrop doesn't help mask the noise. In his first Premier League match of the season, against Fulham, Enzo came off the bench and was greeted with whistles from his own fans. It doesn't take much to see that something has broken between the player and Chelsea's supporters, right as his name has spent weeks tied to a possible move.

Behind that interest lies a concrete footballing reason: Enzo Maresca. The Italian coach managed Fernandez for two and a half seasons at Chelsea and turned him into the most used player of his tenure. Now, from Manchester City's bench, he wants to reunite with him. According to Martin Arevalo on Buen Dia ESPN, both Maresca and Javier Pastore, the midfielder's agent, have been working behind the scenes to convince him to make the jump, and Enzo himself has already let Chelsea know what he wants.

Still, money on the table doesn't mean a done deal. City's offer hasn't fully convinced Chelsea yet, and in the days left before the window shuts, it will become clear which club is willing to give more ground. It's worth remembering where this story began: Chelsea signed Fernandez in January 2023 for a fee matching his release clause at Benfica, around 120 million euros, one of the most expensive deals in Premier League history. Months ago, the London club itself had set August 14 as the deadline to entertain offers, asking for 120 million pounds (161.8 million dollars) at the time. Now, with the market winding down, that stance appears to have softened.

A midfield changing shape in Manchester

For Manchester City, the pursuit of Enzo isn't an isolated whim but part of a full overhaul of the midfield. The club has already said goodbye to players like Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders, and Nico Gonzalez's departure is expected in the coming days. At the same time, City brought in Elliot Anderson and sealed a deal for young Ayyoub Bouaddi. Adding Fernandez would give that renewed project a jolt of immediate international experience.

With Enzo leaning toward City, Maresca pushing from the inside, and Chelsea weighing whether the offer justifies letting go of a key player, only a few hours remain to find out whether this saga ends in Manchester or whether the midfielder stays at Stamford Bridge, even if it's amid whistles.