Manchester City completed the club-record signing of midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea thirty minutes after the official closing of the transfer window. The Argentina World Cup winner has signed a five-year deal at the Etihad, with City paying £125million for his signature.
Maresca's long-standing target
The marquee deadline day addition has been a deal in the making over the past few weeks, with the player keen to link up with Enzo Maresca and Chelsea willing to sell. Maresca has long wanted Fernandez to join him at the Etihad, believing the 25-year-old to carry the ability, mentality and character to help shape this new-look City squad.
Fernandez, who scored a last-minute equaliser for Chelsea at the Etihad in January's 1-1 draw between the teams, had flirted with Real Madrid earlier in the summer but had made it clear he was keen to leave Stamford Bridge, three years on from signing for £107m from Benfica.
Midfield overhaul
Maresca wanted him at City and while there were other options discussed internally - including Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace and Roma's Manu Kone - the Blues decided on Fernandez. The World Cup winner was a player City actively distanced themselves from at the start of the summer, suggesting the hierarchy haven't always viewed Fernandez as plan A.
Having lost Bernardo Silva on a free transfer and then sold Rodri, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders, City had to bring in a third central midfielder to supplement the arrivals of Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Record spending spree
City waited until the final few days of the window to conclude more than £200m worth of business for Fernandez and Bouaddi. With a new manager, a mass exodus of players and a desire to replace all exits, it has been a frantic few months which has seen City spend £457million and recoup £289m according to figures from transfermarkt, and that doesn't include the £60m fee agreed with Tottenham for Marmoush.
City sanctioned the departures of several fringe players with the decision to offload Reijnders, Marmoush and Gonzalez - all signed under Viana's watch within the last 18 months - calling into question the recent recruitment strategy. Savinho has also left the club just two years on from arriving and James Trafford has departed 12 months on from returning to the club.
Ndiaye alternative
When it became apparent that Liverpool were struggling to source a replacement for the Netherlands international Cody Gakpo, who City were in talks to sign for £80m, the Blues pivoted to Iliman Ndiaye. He arrives for an initial £20m less than the Gakpo price, is younger than the Anfield man and has been in English football for longer having played at Boreham Wood and Sheffield United before spending a year with Marseille prior to linking up with Everton.
The deadline day deals take City's spending to more than £450 million this month in reshaping their squad yet they've recouped a huge chunk of that through sales in what has been a window of more than 25 permanent transfers. The Blues have got themselves a squad with competition, depth and quality and the challenge now is for Maresca to mould it into one that can compete for trophies.
