Chelsea’s summer transfer business is really beginning to heat up, with the Blues busy on the incoming and outgoing front this week
Elliot Anderson is set to become one of Enzo Maresca’s first signings in his new job as Manchester City head coach.
The former Chelsea boss, who departed Stamford Bridge in chaotic fashion on New Year’s Day, is yet to be officially confirmed at the Etihad Stadium but reports suggest all of the contracts have been signed to succeed Pep Guardiola. Reports broke on Thursday night claiming City, at the third time of trying, have reached an agreement with Nottingham Forest to sign Anderson.
City are set to pay Forest a whopping £116million – a club-record fee, but not quite a British record – for the England international’s services. That will inevitably have a ripple effect on the summer transfer window, with clubs who have sought-after midfielders on their books now looking at Anderson’s fee as the benchmark.
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Anderson joining City for such an extortionate fee will certainly have an impact on Chelsea – in a couple of ways. First of all, it has ruled City out of the race to sign Enzo Fernandez. While Real Madrid have always been front-runners for the Chelsea midfielder, there was a keen interest from City, with Maresca a huge admirer of the Argentine.
The Blues are demanding £120m for Fernandez, who made it clear to his employers that he wants to call time on his three-and-a-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge this summer. After smashing their own transfer record, City are highly unlikely to do the same – something they would have to do if they wanted Fernandez to sign.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, may be looking at the transfer between City and Forest and all of the sudden think £120m for Fernandez does not seem too expensive. Chelsea know Los Blancos have the money after Florentino Perez told the press earlier this month that the club would submit an offer in excess of €150m (£129m) for an unnamed player.
Said player was reported to be Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, but that move was over before it ever started. In that regard, Madrid’s negotiations have been hampered somewhat when it comes to Fernandez. Chelsea will know of the club’s financial situation after that extraordinary Perez promise.
Jose Mourinho has made Fernandez his top midfield target at the Santiago Bernabeu, sources say, but there has been no official contact between the two clubs at the time of writing. That could, though, change in the near future given Mourinho’s desire to bring Fernandez to the club this summer.
As for Fernandez, personal terms with Real are not expected to be an issue. The Argentina international has made no secret of his desire to one day live in the Spanish capital.
