City begin their hunt early and target Chelsea star

City begin their hunt early and target Chelsea star

 Manchester City are considering a move for Chelsea's Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez as a potential first signing of the summer. City's interest in the Argentine international is still in its early stages, and the club is also monitoring other midfield targets, including Nottingham Forest's Elliott Anderson, according to The Athletic.

Real Madrid are also admirers of Fernandez, but it is unclear at this stage whether they will make a move for him. His comments about Madrid during the March international break led to him being dropped from two matches by Liam Rosenior. 

City's interest in Fernandes comes as the club prepares to lose midfielder Bernardo Silva this summer. City confirmed on Thursday that the Portuguese international will leave at the end of his contract after nearly a decade at the Etihad Stadium.

Rodri's contract is also set to expire in 2027, but Guardiola said in April that he remained "optimistic" the 29-year-old Spanish international would extend his stay at City. Rodri stated in March that he would like to return to Spanish football one day and that he "couldn't say no" to the opportunity to play for Real Madrid.

Fernandez, 25, is under contract at Stamford Bridge until 2032, but made a series of comments in March that cast doubt on his future. Chelsea sacked the midfielder on Wednesday after a 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion the previous night – Fernandez's second game back in charge.

His agent, Javier Pastore, told The Athletic after the suspension was announced that talks had taken place with Chelsea about a new contract, but if the two sides could not agree on terms after the World Cup, his client would explore other options.

Fernandes has made 163 appearances for Chelsea since joining from Benfica for a then-British record fee of €120 million in January 2023, winning the Club World Cup and the UEFA Conference League during that time.

This season, the 2022 World Cup winner has featured in 48 matches across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists. Chelsea are currently seventh in the Premier League, while Manchester City are level on points with league leaders Arsenal after Wednesday's 1-0 win over Burnley.