Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is set to join Manchester City after the two clubs agreed on a £125m fee, paving the way for an uncomfortable reunion with Erling Haaland at the Etihad Stadium.
British-record transfer agreed
Enzo Maresca is set to be reunited with the Argentinian international after agreeing a joint British-record transfer fee. Fernandez has been given the green light to travel to Manchester to complete a medical at City, bringing an end to the uncertainty about his future.
The move comes after Haaland accused Fernandez of stamping on him during Manchester City's 2-0 victory over Chelsea at the start of the 2024/25 season.
Haaland's previous accusations
Following that win, Haaland told BBC Sport: "All the time he stamps on me, he pushes me and everything, not only him. I don't know what he wants but that's what they do I guess."
He added: "We just won the Premier League so let's take it game by game. It's 37 games left, let's not forget we won the Premier League and now we have won the first game of this season. It's amazing to have everyone back. We go from there. It's ridiculous how quick it actually goes, it's my third season now. I'm happy, especially now after the win. It's the first game back and we're not in perfect shape, but we did a really solid performance. We just stayed calm and played, it's amazing to see."
Past incidents and future plans
This is not the first occasion Fernandez has been accused of underhand tactics, having elbowed Man City newcomer Elliott Anderson in the back during the World Cup clash between England and Argentina. The foul went unpunished, much to the fury of England players and staff, with Fernandez escaping a yellow card for the incident.
Tensions boiled over between the two nations, with Anderson and Fernandez locked in a battle throughout the match. Ultimately, however, it was Argentina who came out on top, defeating the Three Lions 2-1.
Fernandez had been vocal about a potential move to Real Madrid under former boss Liam Rosenior, but Los Blancos have not tried to buy the midfielder this summer.
