City boss Enzo Maresca worked with Fernandez at Chelsea before taking on the daunting task of succeeding Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. The Italian was a driving force behind the deal to land Fernandez after the recent sale of influential World Cup winner Rodri to Barcelona, as well as the departures of fellow midfielders Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders. Manchester City signed Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea on Tuesday in a reported 125 million pounds deal ($167 million) that equalled the British transfer record.
The fee for the Argentine international matches that paid by Liverpool to Newcastle for Sweden striker Alexander Isak last year.
Fernandez won the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup in his time at Chelsea, but his relationship with the club’s fans was soured by what they perceived as his desire to leave Stamford Bridge. “This is a club built for success. If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player. He scored twice in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, including a stunning strike against England in the semi-final.
But his tournament ended with a red card in the final as Argentina were beaten 1-0 to miss out on retaining their status as world champions.
“Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well-run City are,” said Fernandez in a City statement.
