Enzo Fernandez: How Manchester City sealed £125m deal for Chelsea midfielder

When Maresca was named as Pep Guardiola’s replacement in June, the Italian apologized to his former club Chelsea for the “disruption” caused by his mid-season departure.

Senior City sources had told BBC Sport at the time that they had no hard feelings towards Chelsea and that the now resolved contract dispute was between the Stamford Bridge club and Maresca.

And that has been manifested in this agreement.

The manager was the key factor in this successful deal, as Maresca wanted to reunite with his former Chelsea captain.

It is understood that Maresca wanted Fernandez as someone he can fully trust, a player who is familiar with the coach’s instructions, playing patterns and who does not need to learn to operate in the middle of the park in the system.

The 46-year-old took a similar approach when he was appointed Chelsea manager in 2023, hiring Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after having worked with the player at Leicester during their Championship-winning campaign.

Looking back at Friday’s pre-match press conference, Maresca had hinted at a late arrival by saying he hoped to add “a captain” to his team before the transfer window ends.

City have lost the experience of Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Rodri this summer, with Ruben Dias taking the captain’s armband and Erling Haaland forming part of the leadership group.

Fernandez adds his big-game knowledge to City’s midfield after winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, being named young player of the tournament and helping his country reach a second successive final in July.

His antics over the summer may not make him a universally popular figure, but Fernández presents himself as a player his teammates love to have around and who annoys opposing players and fans.

City had been interested in signing Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto from Chelsea earlier this summer but were apparently put off by their respective asking prices and, at the time, Fernandez was not a player Maresca would necessarily have asked the hierarchy to sign.

However, the departures of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico González meant there was a huge void left in the middle of the park that needed to be filled.

It was surprising when Maresca deployed centre-back Marc Guehi as a holding midfielder in the opening match against Bournemouth, and the player himself said he was surprised by the change of position.

That alteration came about because the deal for Moroccan international Ayyoub Bouaddi had not been completed, so Guehi played alongside fellow England international Anderson.

The owners have now spent £125m on Fernandez and deemed him worth the hefty fee for their new manager; They can also signal the delivery of a player who could be the final tool needed for Maresca and his men to challenge on all four fronts this season.

Although City won a domestic cup double in Guardiola’s final season in charge, they fell short in the Premier League and Champions League, so Maresca will now be under pressure to achieve better results in both competitions.