City Bails on Fernandez: No Bid, No Deal (For Now)

Chelsea, in their infinite wisdom, slapped an arbitrary Friday cutoff on clubs interested in Fernandez. The asking price? A cool £120m. City, predictably, didn't bite. And now, the terms they’d floated to the Argentina international’s people back in May? Gone. Sky Sports says so.

So, the 25-year-old, who's got six years left on his contract, is probably stuck at Stamford Bridge through the 2026/27 season. Don't count City out entirely, though. They're still keeping an eye on things, apparently open to a last-minute scramble before the September 1 window slams shut. Only if circumstances change.

What kind of change? Barcelona’s relentless pursuit of Rodri. The Spanish giants have already seen two bids for City's captain get tossed out. But if a third offer comes in, big enough to make City consider it, then maybe, just maybe, they'll turn their gaze back to Fernandez. It helps that manager Enzo Maresca, a former Chelsea man himself, apparently fancies the midfielder.

But let's not pretend this is all smooth sailing. Relations between the two clubs? Still frosty. Maresca's messy exit from Stamford Bridge last winter left a sour taste. City had to cough up £17m just to get him. Chelsea's arbitrary deadline? Probably an attempt to avoid another drawn-out drama like Maresca's departure.

Remember, the Blues shelled out around £107m for Fernandez back in January 2023, pulling him from Benfica. Real Madrid, meanwhile, have already gone on record denying any summer interest.