Enzo Fernandez could leave Chelsea for Manchester City this transfer window, and the Blues reportedly already have their eye on a potential midfield replacement.
Chelsea have reportedly identified a replacement for Enzo Fernandez as negotiations with Manchester City over the Argentine midfielder continue to intensify ahead of the transfer deadline.
City is expected to submit an offer worth £120 million for Fernandez, according to Football365, with the player himself reportedly open to a move to the Etihad Stadium. Chelsea, however, have made clear they would only consider selling for a fee in the region of £140 million, and no formal proposal meeting that valuation has arrived as of yet.
While those talks play out, Chelsea have accelerated their search for a replacement, making contact over Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, according to Goal. The Cherries have already rejected three Chelsea bids worth between £62 million and £68 million for the England international this summer, suggesting a move would require Chelsea to raise their offer significantly.
Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and AS Roma’s Manu Kone have also emerged as names on the club’s radar, giving Chelsea multiple options depending on how the Fernandez situation resolves.
Alex Scott of AFC Bournemouth. (Getty Images)
With the transfer window closing on September 1, the coming days should determine whether one of the summer’s biggest sagas ends with Fernandez staying at Stamford Bridge or completing a blockbuster move to the Etihad Stadium.
How Alex Scott’s playing style would fit at Chelsea
Scott operates primarily as a box-to-box midfielder, though he’s shown the versatility to play as an attacking midfielder or even out on the right wing when needed. His game is built around intensity, covering 11.6 kilometers per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, more than any other Bournemouth starter, while also ranking among the division’s top ball-winners at his position.
That profile would represent a shift in style for Chelsea’s midfield rather than a like-for-like swap. Where Fernandez operates as more of a deep-lying playmaker dictating tempo from a positional role, Scott’s game leans on verticality, ball-carrying, and physical intensity to break lines, giving Xabi Alonso a different kind of engine in midfield if the move goes through.
Xabi Alonso addressed the Fernandez situation
Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of Chelsea’s EFL Cup match against Luton Town on Thursday, Xabi Alonso once again touched on Fernandez’s situation amid Manchester City’s strong interest.
Asked whether the 25-year-old would feature against Luton, Alonso said: “We hope he plays. He’s ready. He’s training very well. He’s a good professional and he’ll be involved”.
When pressed on whether he’d like to see Fernandez stay at Chelsea beyond this window, Alonso hinted at his preference without committing outright. “We want to have the best possible team, and we know Enzo’s qualities. He’s shown it, and we’ll have to wait and see. But right now we’re thinking about tomorrow, and we’ll see how things develop,” the Spaniard coach explained.