Manchester City Target Enzo Fernandez as Rodri Faces Exit
Manchester City are bracing for the possibility of life without Rodri – and Enzo Fernandez is firmly on their radar as a potential successor.
Former City financial adviser Stefan Borson believes the Premier League champions could still strike a deal with Chelsea for the Argentina international this summer, with Rodri’s future casting a long shadow over Enzo Maresca’s first transfer window at the Etihad.
City have already thrown serious money at reshaping the squad. Elliot Anderson has arrived from Nottingham Forest in a £116million deal, while Lille’s 18-year-old prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi is expected to follow for around £86m. Maresca, though, is understood to want more than just youthful promise if Rodri walks away.
He wants a new heartbeat in midfield.
Fernandez in the frame
Chelsea, for their part, are not expected to let Fernandez go cheaply. The London club are widely thought to want around £120m for their No.8, and Real Madrid are also watching the situation.
Yet the Etihad link refuses to fade. Maresca’s previous connections to Fernandez help keep the door open, and Rodri’s situation has pushed it further ajar.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson floated the idea of the 25-year-old World Cup winner stepping straight into Rodri’s role.
“They do want to replace him if he goes, and that's above and beyond the [Ayyoub] Bouaddi deal, which I think will still happen regardless,” Borson said.
“I think City plan to be pretty busy between now and the close of the window. They want to buy and sell. Chelsea, I still see Chelsea being busy between now and the window closing.
“There's still a question mark over whether Enzo Fernandez goes, which would be an enormous transaction. Is he the [Rodri] replacement to City?
“So there's still loads to happen. But it's a question of whether City are prepared to play that game with Rodri.
“Or whether they just go, 'Look, if you haven't brought the offer by the Charity Shield, we're not selling this summer.'”
That internal deadline is key. Borson expects City to want any Rodri exit resolved before their Community Shield clash with Arsenal on Sunday, 16 August. Only once that domino falls, he suggests, will City truly move on Fernandez.
Chelsea’s own dilemma
Chelsea’s stance on Fernandez remains one of the window’s major subplots. Borson has previously suggested the club are “looking to get rid” and described him as “a liability”, yet shifting a player of that profile and price bracket is never straightforward.
The numbers from last season tell a different story about his impact on the pitch. Fernandez produced 16 goals and 10 assists in 61 games for Chelsea across all competitions, a remarkable return for a midfielder in a team still trying to find its identity.
Those figures explain why City see him as far more than just a body in midfield. Slotting him into a side already stacked with attacking talent could be devastating for the rest of the league.
For now, everything circles back to Rodri. All signs, Borson says, currently point towards the Spaniard leaving this summer. If that happens before the Community Shield, the path clears for City to test Chelsea’s resolve over Fernandez.
If not, City may simply shut the door and ride into the new season with the midfield general who has defined their era.
