Chelsea have stepped up their contingency planning by identifying a primary replacement should vice-captain Enzo Fernandez complete a high-profile move to Manchester City. With the Etihad outfit desperate to bolster their midfield following Rodri's agreement with Barcelona, the Blues are prepared to raid a top-flight rival to fill the potential void at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City are refusing to cool their interest in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez despite missing the deadline to make a bid, with the Blues having set a £120m asking price for the Argentina international. Chelsea had given City until 5pm last Friday to make an offer, but no bid was submitted as Enzo Maresca’s side continue to explore midfield reinforcements before the transfer window closes.
Enzo Fernandez was greeted by a chorus of boos from a significant portion of the Stamford Bridge faithful during Chelsea's final pre-season clash on Saturday. Despite the frosty reception for the Argentine, Xabi Alonso's side managed to secure a 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad to wrap up their summer schedule.
Xabi Alonso secured his first victory at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager, concluding their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Real Sociedad. While the performance offered plenty of tactical intrigue, the afternoon was somewhat overshadowed by a polarized reaction from the home crowd toward Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo Fernandez would tick a box for Manchester City that the Blues have been missing, Colin Hendry has told GOAL, with the World Cup winner tipped to be a “big plus” for Enzo Maresca if he can be lured away from Chelsea. The Argentina international will come with a huge price tag, said to stand at £120 million ($162m), but could prove to be money well spent.
After a raft of new arrivals, the Blues and their new manager have plenty of work to do in what remains of the transfer window to cut down their bloated squad, with plenty of big-name players facing an uncertain future.
Emile Heskey believes Manchester United can transform into immediate Premier League title contenders if they secure the signing of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The former England striker insists the Argentine star would provide the ideal replacement for Casemiro and propel Michael Carrick's side to the very top of English football.
Chelsea could have a problem on their hands when Enzo Fernandez returns from his post-World Cup holiday - both figuratively and literally. The midfielder and his outspoken agent have made it abundantly clear that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, and following the ugly conclusion to Argentina's quest for glory in North America, Enzo is now expected to "explore his options". The problem is, he might not have any.
With the World Cup over and pre-season friendlies beginning in earnest over the next week, it feels like the new club season is hurtling towards us at a rather alarming rate. With that in mind, managers are getting increasingly twitchy when it comes to transfers, with coaches around Europe keen to know which players they will and won't be able to call upon over the coming weeks and months.
And so the 2026 World Cup has come to a close after an enthralling 39 days that saw Spain get their hands on the trophy. Throughout the showpiece tournament in North America, GOAL, in association with eToro, has been tracking the value of some of the world's most sought-after talents. Did their price rise or plummet? Check out the final standings of our unique player value tracker to find out...
Enzo Fernandez has addressed Argentina supporters after their World Cup final defeat to Spain, having been sent off late in the dramatic showdown. The Chelsea midfielder reflected on the team's journey while FIFA also opened an investigation into the chaotic scenes after full-time.
At the end of a gruelling battle of footballing philosophies, Spain are world champions once again. It was control vs chaos in the 2026 World Cup final as Luis de la Fuente's pass masters came up against the holders and experts in the dark arts, Argentina. Ultimately, after 120 minutes of bruising action, La Roja (and football) would prevail 1-0, leaving Lionel Messi disconsolate.
As time ticked on and the shadows continued to envelop the pitch in New Jersey, Argentina kept waiting. Surely, the moment would arrive, right? It always does? For the last two World Cups, there was always a Lionel Messi moment of magic, and it always seemed to arrive when Argentina needed it most.
The World Cup final is finally upon us, and Sunday's showdown between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey promises to be an absolutely enthralling encounter between the two best teams in the tournament - with the emphasis very much on 'teams'.
Enzo Fernandez has courted controversy once again after appearing to troll England on social media following Argentina's dramatic World Cup semi-final win, with the Chelsea midfielder's celebrations and online antics drawing fierce backlash from Three Lions supporters and even forcing his own club into an embarrassing U-turn.
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