Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is reportedly interested in acquiring Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez for a fee of £120 million, with the deadline for a potential move set for Friday 5 p.m. The two clubs have a strained relationship following Maresca's departure from Chelsea to take the helm at the Etihad Stadium.
If the transfer materializes, City would be acquiring a player described as a 'character.' This includes instances such as receiving a red card in a World Cup final, attempting to influence a teammate's dismissal in the same match, and accumulating frequent bookings for dissent. In 2024, after Argentina's Copa America victory, Fernandez was accused by club-mates of racism after a livestreamed incident involving chanting.
Despite these controversies, Maresca has shown significant trust in Fernandez, having previously handed him the captain's armband for Chelsea's Premier League opener against Manchester City in the 2024-25 season, even when the club captain was available.
Fernandez was a central figure in Chelsea's midfield, consistently covering significant distances. Across Maresca's 18 months at the club, Fernandez played more league matches than any other Chelsea player, and in open play, only Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes created more chances across the entire division. In Maresca's sole full season at Chelsea, Fernandez was involved in attacking plays ending in a shot nearly as much as Cole Palmer.
Maresca may need to find an alternative for Rodri, a key midfielder for Manchester City, who is reportedly in talks to return to his native Spain. The article suggests that City has already spent £116 million on Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, and is also in discussions to sign Ayyoub Bouaddi for £85 million, but Fernandez is not a direct like-for-like replacement for Rodri.
While both Rodri and Fernandez are authoritative midfielders, their styles differ. Both are involved in their teams' attacking plays, but Fernandez is often closer to goal. In the 2024-25 season, Fernandez was involved in 200 attacking moves that ended in a shot, with nearly 60% of those involving him taking the shot or setting it up. He ranked first among midfielders for expected goals that season. In contrast, Rodri's influence in the 2023-24 campaign, before his injury, saw him involved in attacking plays, but only 37% were shots or chances he created. Rodri averaged more than twice as many passes as Fernandez in the 2024-25 season with a higher completion rate and more passes that split defensive lines. Fernandez, however, was more direct, playing a higher percentage of passes forward and into the box, and commits more fouls. A colleague described Fernandez as "smashes those dishes" in contrast to Rodri's clean play.
A key difference is Fernandez's ability to make late runs into the box, frequently resulting in goals. He averages at least five such runs per game, whereas Rodri averages less than half a penalty area run per game. Fernandez's runs have been noted in matches against Burnley, Brighton, and Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola often utilized Rodri as a single midfield pivot, allowing other players freedom to advance. When Rodri was unavailable, Guardiola would sometimes opt for a two-man midfield. Maresca has experimented with a similar setup in pre-season, with Mateo Kovacic and Tijjani Reijnders playing together against Atletico Madrid.
Fernandez's style is noted to be more similar to Reijnders, who is reportedly nearing a move to Saudi side Al Qadsiah. Both players are comfortable receiving the ball in wider channels.
While Rodri demonstrated his ability on the international stage at the World Cup, the Premier League's faster pace and physicality present a different challenge. If Rodri departs, Maresca may find his replacement in Fernandez, a move that could cost Manchester City over £300 million when factoring in other potential transfers.
