EPL: Chelsea demand £120m for Fernandez, set Friday deadline

Chelsea has issued a firm deadline of Friday for interested clubs to submit offers of at least £120 million for their midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The club aims to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the Argentina international's future before the upcoming season begins. Fernandez's future has been a topic of speculation since March, when he reportedly considered a move to Real Madrid.

Fernandez's agent had previously claimed his client was underpaid and wished to leave following Chelsea's disappointing 10th-place finish in the Premier League and their loss in the FA Cup final. However, Real Madrid has since indicated they are not pursuing a transfer for the midfielder.

This leaves Manchester City as the only known potential suitor for Fernandez. However, City is also reportedly interested in Lille's Ayoub Bouaddi, and it remains unclear if they will meet Chelsea's substantial valuation. Chelsea paid £107 million to sign Fernandez from Benfica in 2023 and appears determined to recoup a significant portion of that investment.

Chelsea has stated they are willing to reintegrate Fernandez into the squad under new manager Xabi Alonso if no suitable offer materializes. The midfielder scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 54 appearances last season. He recently returned to training with the team.

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Chelsea have set 17:00 BST on Friday as the deadline for offers and are expected to stand firm on their asking price.