Manchester City Targets Fernandez Amid Chelsea's Transfer Uncertainty
Manchester City are readying a late move for Fernandez, undeterred by an informal deadline from Chelsea that has already come and gone and by a £120 million valuation that would make him one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history.
All summer, the midfielder has been at the heart of the noise around Stamford Bridge. Now the window is closing in, the noise is growing louder.
Alonso plans to use Fernandez amid transfer storm
Despite the uncertainty, Xabi Alonso is planning for life with Fernandez. The Chelsea manager expects him to be involved in Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie against Luton Town, as reported by The Independent.
“Yes, so we expect that he's involved. He has trained, he's training really well, he's a good professional and he will be involved,” Alonso confirmed.
Fernandez came off the bench in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday, greeted by warm applause from the away end at Craven Cottage. It was a sharp contrast to pre-season at Stamford Bridge, where he was booed by sections of the home crowd after his controversial role in Argentina's World Cup semi-final victory over England.
The mood has shifted. So has his market.
Pressed on whether he wants to keep the midfielder, Alonso did not hide his admiration, but he stopped short of any guarantees.
“We want to have the best team possible. We know his qualities. He has shown it and we have to wait, but we will think about tomorrow and let's see how things develop,” he said.
City are expected to come back with another bid before the September 1 deadline. The champions have already tested Chelsea’s resolve once; they are not done yet.
Chelsea eye Alex Scott as potential replacement
Chelsea, for their part, are not standing still. If Fernandez goes, the club are prepared to turn back to Bournemouth and push hard for Alex Scott.
Bournemouth have so far shut down all interest. They have made it clear they do not want to sell. But there is a belief inside the market that a bid in excess of £80 million, edging closer to £90 million, might force a rethink on the south coast.
Alonso, though, refused to be drawn on whether any sale of Fernandez would hinge on securing a replacement first.
“It is always about understanding the context, the situation, timings, circumstances, so there is not a defined rule for everything,” he said. “You need to know how things have worked, what you want, what you want for the future, so I don't have the rules in stone. We need to assess each situation.”
So Chelsea prepare for Luton with Fernandez in the squad, City circle with another offer in mind, and Bournemouth brace for a bid that might finally test their stance. The clock is ticking, and someone will have to blink.
