Chelsea set a deadline of August 14 for clubs to submit bids of £120 million for midfielder Enzo Fernandez but did not receive any formal offers by then [1, 2, 3, 4]. The club has informed Fernandez’s representatives that he is not for sale during this transfer window [1, 4]. Despite this, Chelsea has privately left the door open to a sale and appointed agent Jorge Mendes to help resolve the situation [1].

Manchester City has expressed interest in signing Fernandez to strengthen their midfield after departures of Rodri and Bernardo Silva on a free transfer [1, 5]. Chelsea is monitoring potential replacements, including Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton [5].

Fernandez rejoined Chelsea's training group about 10 days ago and is preparing to play in the Premier League opener against Fulham on August 21 [1, 2, 3, 5, 4]. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said, "Enzo is a Chelsea player. He's a top, top player. He's training really well since he started 10 days ago with the team. Very integrated, and we are happy with him. He's getting ready for Monday." Alonso also praised Fernandez's attitude, saying, "He is training really well, good attitude and that's what we want. He's trying his best to prepare for the kick-off of the Premier League." He added, "We can have a relation but once we're on the pitch, no friends, no past, just the 90 minutes we are fighting for each club." [2, 5]

Earlier this summer, Fernandez attempted a move to Real Madrid, which was unsuccessful; Madrid denied any interest [1]. His relationship with Chelsea fans remains mixed, as jeers and cheers were heard during recent friendlies [1].

Chelsea acquired Fernandez in January 2023 from Benfica for a British record £106.8 million on an 8.5-year deal [2, 3, 4]. The club is also looking to reduce its squad size, with players such as Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, and Marc Guiu expected to leave before the transfer window closes on September 1 [5].

On August 20, Alonso confirmed Fernandez’s status as a Chelsea player preparing for Monday’s Premier League opener at Fulham [1, 2, 3, 5, 4].