Xabi Alonso Urges Quick Resolution on Enzo Fernandez Situation

Xabi Alonso wants the Enzo Fernandez saga settled – and quickly.

Manchester City are weighing up a fresh move for the Argentina international after initially refusing to meet Chelsea’s £120m valuation before the club-imposed deadline two weeks ago. That date came and went without a bid, but City have not walked away, with new reports indicating they are readying another offer.

All of this has left Fernandez in limbo for most of the summer. Early in the window he was strongly linked with Real Madrid, only for the Spanish giants to cool their interest and step back from the chase. That opened the door for Enzo Maresca’s City, who see the 23-year-old as a major midfield target.

For now, though, he is back in blue and back in the fold. Fernandez has returned to full training at Cobham and was included in Alonso’s matchday squad for Chelsea’s Premier League opener on Monday night. He started on the bench but was sent on in the 65th minute, helping the Blues close out a 3-2 win.

Alonso’s message afterwards was clear: he wants certainty, even if he cannot yet say which way the story ends.

“In football, I am not surprised by anything,” he told BBC Radio Five Live when asked if Fernandez would stay. “We will see. My wish is that we know what will happen for the future but we will see this week.”

The clock is ticking. Chelsea’s stance on the £120m asking price has not shifted publicly, yet the club are braced for movement in the final stretch of the window, with outgoings now the priority.

• Liam Delap is in talks over a switch to Nottingham Forest
• Mamadou Sarr is also close to the exit door
• Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk and Marc Guiu are expected to attract serious interest as well
• Chelsea open to both loan and permanent departures depending on the offers that land
• Dario Essugo has been made available for a loan move

The squad is being trimmed. The question now is whether one of its headline names is about to be cut loose too – or whether Alonso gets to build his midfield around Fernandez once the dust finally settles.