Xabi Alonso addressed his U-turn on Enzo Fernandez after leaving the midfielder out of Chelsea’s matchday squad for their Carabao Cup second-round tie against Luton Town, just a day after insisting the Argentine would be involved. Chelsea won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to set up a third-round clash with Leeds, but the story of the night centered on Fernandez’s continued absence amid interest from Manchester City.
“We assess individually, collectively, what’s the best for the team for tonight, what was better for other players that they were playing, and we take the decision,” Alonso explained. “It’s just because of the game today, and we had other players that needed minutes”.
Asked directly whether Fernandez had refused to play, the Spaniard was firm in shutting down the suggestion: “No, no, no. It was a decision from myself and from the club“.
Turning to Fernandez’s standing at the club, Alonso made clear there was no personal issue behind the decision. “He’s a good professional, he’s training well, and I have nothing negative to say about him. So it was just decisions that we have to take, thinking about the game that we were playing tonight, and we will see for Sunday,” Alonso concluded.
Where things stand with Manchester City
Fernandez’s immediate future remains tied to Manchester City, who are expected to firm up their interest before the transfer window closes next Tuesday. Chelsea have set an asking price of around £120 million for the midfielder, a valuation City will need to match despite already committing roughly £200 million this summer to reshape their midfield with the signings of Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi.
see also
Chelsea have reportedly targeted Enzo Fernandez’s replacement amid Manchester City talks
City have also cleared wage space to fund a potential move, with the sale of Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah for around £51 million, alongside Rodri’s £65.4m move to Barcelona, helping recoup funds toward Fernandez’s asking price. With Fernandez left out again and City’s rebuild still unfinished, Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brighton could offer the clearest signal yet of where his future lies.
