Enzo Fernández appears dead set on leaving Chelsea after three-and-a-half years.
The midfielder, whose box-crashing form was a rare bright spot in a dull season, apologized for openly flirting with Real Madrid during an interview with a YouTuber back in April, but has done little to quell transfer talk since with an exit now seemingly inevitable.
Prior to the World Cup, it was reported that Chelsea would sanction a £120 million ($160 million) exit for the midfielder who signed for the Blues for around £106 million ($141 million) back in 2023.
Meanwhile, Fernández’s agent, former Argentina international Javier Pastore, has confirmed his client is looking at options to leave Chelsea this summer and talked up the Spanish capital as a nice place to live—though he denied that any talks have taken place just yet.
While Fernández and Pastore look to be putting all their eggs in a basket marked ‘Real Madrid,’ the 15-time European champions are hovering but yet to make a move. Reports say Fernández is a target for Madrid, but other options remain under consideration as the club looks to finally sign a midfield playmaker this summer.
Should a Madrid move go south, where else could Fernández end up? Besides Madrid, there aren’t many clubs out there with the kind of capital to make such a big move happen. Here are four possible destinations for the Chelsea midfielder.
Paris Saint-Germain
One of vanishingly few clubs who wouldn’t immediately baulk at a nine-figure transfer, PSG have been linked with Fernández in the past.
However, the back-to-back European champions seem more likely to pursue a big-money forward this summer with Yan Diomande, Maghnes Akliouche and Julián Álvarez among the reported targets.
A player like Fernández may only shoot up the shortlist should one of PSG’s current midfield stars—Vitinha, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz—move on. All three have admirers at other clubs but exits are not currently on the cards.
Manchester City
“I don't have an answer for this ... It was a departure that hurt me a lot. We had an identity and Maresca gave us structure.”
Those were some of Fernández’s comments after Enzo Maresca left as Chelsea manager midway through last season, showing the depth of feeling between player and coach.
Could the two re-unite at Maresca’s new club, Manchester City? It’s possible, but with City already committing £116 million ($153 million) on another midfielder in Elliot Anderson, it feels unlikely.
Saudi Pro League
For all its spending, the Saudi Pro League is still yet to attract a top-level players in their prime—with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr and Mohamed Salah among those to say “thanks, but no thanks” when presented with offers.
However, if a Madrid move were to fall apart, Saudi Arabia could offer Fernández another lucrative route out of Chelsea, while also providing the league with a much-desired publicity boost.
It would be a last-resort move for Fernández who, at just 25, would be making a big decision about his career direction.
Atlético Madrid
A transfer in the region of £120 million would represent a club-record for Atlético Madrid, but the Rojiblancos are not averse to splashing the cash when they feel like it.
Previously, Atleti have got out their chequebook and paid (very) big for the likes of João Felix, Thomas Lemar and Julián Álvarez—and with the latter potentially leaving this summer, they may have more money to burn.
A market-shaking move for Fernández now would have the added benefit of really getting under Real Madrid’s skin and could be the perfect payback for their rivals bid for Álvarez earlier in the window.
