Manchester City Targets Fernandez Amid Chelsea's Plans
Manchester City are readying another push for Fernandez, undeterred by an informal deadline they have already missed and a £120 million valuation that has dominated Chelsea’s summer.
The midfielder has been at the centre of a long-running transfer saga, but for now, Xabi Alonso is planning with him, not without him.
Alonso expects Fernandez to play
Speaking ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup tie against Luton Town on Thursday, Alonso made it clear he sees Fernandez as part of his immediate plans. The Independent reports that the club expect him to be involved, and Alonso backed that up.
“Yes, so we expect that he's involved. He has trained, he's training really well, he's a good professional and he will be involved,” Alonso said.
Fernandez came off the bench in Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday, his first competitive outing of the season. The reaction told its own story. Chelsea fans at Craven Cottage greeted him warmly, a sharp contrast to the boos he faced at Stamford Bridge in pre-season after his controversial role in Argentina's World Cup semi-final win over England.
The mood around him has shifted. The uncertainty around his future has not.
City circling as deadline looms
Manchester City, who have tracked Fernandez throughout the window, are expected to return with another bid before the transfer deadline on September 1. Chelsea have held firm on his value, but the clock is ticking and the pressure is rising.
Asked directly whether he wanted to keep Fernandez, Alonso did not hide his admiration, but he also did not offer any guarantees.
“We want to have the best team possible. We know his qualities. He has shown it and we have to wait, but we will think about tomorrow and let's see how things develop,” he said.
Chelsea know exactly what they stand to lose. City know exactly what they want to gain.
Alex Scott lined up if Fernandez goes
Behind the scenes, Chelsea are working on a contingency plan. If Fernandez leaves, they are prepared to return to Bournemouth for Alex Scott.
Bournemouth have so far rejected all interest. The stance has been firm, but not necessarily final. There is a belief that an offer above £80 million, and likely closer to £90 million, could force a rethink.
Alonso, though, would not be drawn on whether a move for Scott – or any replacement – would be directly tied to Fernandez’s departure.
“It is always about understanding the context, the situation, timings, circumstances, so there is not a defined rule for everything,” he said. “You need to know how things have worked, what you want, what you want for the future, so I don't have the rules in stone. We need to assess each situation.”
For now, Fernandez is training, involved, and preparing for Luton. By the time September 1 arrives, he could be anchoring Chelsea’s midfield – or walking into a very different dressing room in Manchester.
