Chelsea look set to lose one of their central midfield options as Enzo Fernandez closes in on a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City.
The Argentina international is set to sign for the Cityzens to link up with his former Blues manager Enzo Maresca in a deal that is worth up to £125m.
He signed for the London giants from Benfica for a staggering fee of £107m in January 2023, and is now set to be sold for a profit on deadline day today.
Why Chelsea losing Enzo Fernandez is not a major blow
Xabi Alonso‘s appointment has led to a change in system and style for the Blues, as the Spaniard has deployed a 3-4-2-1 formation with Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer behind Joao Pedro.
Chelsea have already scored seven goals in their first two matches in the Premier League, beating Brighton 4-3 and Fulham 3-2, and do not need the goals from midfield that Fernandez provided.
The Argentine star offered an attacking threat from midfield last term with ten goals and four assists in 36 appearances in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.
Having a front three of Rogers, Palmer, and Pedro, though, with Pedro Neto also available as a wing-back, means that he would not have been as influential as an attacker.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Enzo Fernandez |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
36 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.6 |
|
Dribbled past |
36x |
|
Duel success rate |
44% |
|
Ground duel success rate |
43% |
Out of possession, the central midfielder left far too much to be desired as he lost the majority of his duels and was dribbled past once per game on average.
Opposition players found it too easy to get the better of him in the middle of the park, and he may have been left more exposed by playing in a midfield pivot in a 3-4-2-1, which is why his sale is not as big of a blow as it may seem on paper.
How Chelsea can land a perfect Enzo Fernandez replacement
With only a matter of hours left to go before the deadline, the club could secure a dream replacement and potential upgrade on Fernandez for Alonso.
According to TEAMtalk, Monaco central midfielder Lamine Camara is desperate to sign for Chelsea before the end of the summer transfer window tonight.
The report claims that the midfielder has made it clear that he should be the man to come in and replace Fernandez at Stamford Bridge, but a move is not easy to get over the line.
It adds that the French side are holding out for a fee of upwards of £50m and that talks are ongoing between the two clubs, with the Blues hoping to reach a compromise.
If Chelsea can agree a deal to sign the midfield star before the deadline, Camara could come in as the dream replacement for Fernandez in the middle of the park for Alonso.
The 22-year-old talent is far more suited to playing in a midfield two in a 3-4-2-1 formation because he is a combative star who offers mobility and physicality, two things that Fernandez did not offer much of.
|
25/26 season |
Camara (L1) |
Fernandez (PL) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
24 |
36 |
|
Tackles per game |
2.3 |
1.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
1.5 |
0.6 |
|
Dribbled past per game |
0.9x |
1.0x |
|
Duels won per game |
5.7 |
3.8 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
59% |
43% |
In the 2025/26 campaign, Camara was far more effective than the £125m-rated man at league level from a defensive perspective, particularly when it came to winning duels on the ground.
He won almost 60% of his ground duels throughout the Ligue 1 season, whilst Fernandez lost the majority of his in the Premier League, and could be far better at winning possession back for Chelsea.
The Blues need their two midfield players to cover ground and be combative to win the ball back to then play passes to the exciting players in the front three and the two wing-backs.
Instead of needing them to score goals, as Fernandez did, they need the physical and defensive attributes, which Camara has in abundance in midfield.
Therefore, the Monaco star could arrive at Stamford Bridge as a dream replacement for the Argentine midfielder as a player who is far more suited to Alonso’s style.