Enzo Fernandez officially completed his move to Manchester City on Deadline Day, and the Argentine midfielder didn’t hold back when describing what the transfer means to him. Speaking to the club’s media after putting pen to paper on a five-year deal, Fernandez made clear City had always represented a step up in his eyes.
“I always dreamed to be in a club as big as Manchester City,” Fernandez said, via Fabrizio Romano. “This is a dream move for me. I’m really happy“. The comments were widely read as a subtle dig at his former club Chelsea, given the implication that City carries a stature Chelsea does not.
The transfer, worth a Premier League record-equalling £125 million (€140m), ends months of speculation over Fernandez’s future and closes the book on his three-and-a-half-year spell at Chelsea.
The move also cements Fernandez’s place among the sport’s biggest earners in transfer volume. Having generated €310.25 million across his three paid transfers — from River Plate to Benfica for €44.25 million, then to Chelsea for €121 million, and now to City for €145 million — the midfielder has passed Cristiano Ronaldo’s €247 million career total to sit third on the all-time list, trailing only Romelu Lukaku (€375.9 million) and record-holder Neymar, whose €400 million tally remains well out of reach.
Fernandez opens up on an emotional decision
Fernandez went further in his first interview with the club, opening up about what the move means to him beyond football. Speaking just hours after putting pen to paper, the 25-year-old reflected on the weight of the transfer for himself and those closest to him.
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“I’m grateful for the opportunity. It’s a very emotional moment for me and my family, to take this step at 25 years old, in a football career that I always dreamed of,” he said.
The midfielder also revealed how quickly he made up his mind once City’s interest became concrete, despite the magnitude of leaving a club he’d called home for three and a half years.
According to Fernandez, there was no hesitation once the approach came in. “From the first day they believed in me and called me to say they wanted me to join the club, I didn’t hesitate for a second,” he said.
He rounded out his comments by pointing to City’s recent dominance under Pep Guardiola as a driving factor behind the move, framing the challenge as a natural next step in his career. “It’s a club that has won a lot in recent years. It’s a club that is making history in football and, for me, it’s a huge challenge,” Fernandez added.
