English club Manchester City has officially announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández from Chelsea, according to a statement posted on its official website moments ago.
Under the leadership of Enzo Maresca, Manchester City is undergoing significant squad changes this summer, with numerous players departing on one hand and the Sky Blues bolstering their ranks with new signings on the other.
The most prominent departure from Manchester City this summer was manager Pep Guardiola after ten years in charge. Among the players who left were John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Omar Marmoush, who joined Tottenham on loan.
Manchester City sought to strengthen its midfield and initially aimed to sign Cody Gakpo from Liverpool, but the club rejected the offer. Consequently, City turned its attention to Chelsea and secured Enzo Fernández.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal's value exceeds £125 million following prolonged negotiations, with Chelsea agreeing to the sale.
For his part, Enzo Fernández bid farewell to Chelsea fans through a lengthy message on Instagram, explaining his reasons and noting that he had gone through a difficult period recently (Read his message via the link).
Meanwhile, the Premier League officially closed the summer transfer window at 1:00 AM Egypt and Saudi Arabia time (11:00 PM British Summer Time).
It stated that clubs can still complete deals after 11:00 PM British Summer Time if they had submitted an official offer before the summer transfer window deadline.
This applies to Manchester City's signing of Enzo Fernández, as both clubs reached an agreement before the summer window closed, granting them the right to announce the deal later.
It is not always easy for clubs to complete all procedures and submit required documents before the transfer window deadline. However, there is something known as a "deal sheet," which confirms that a club has reached an agreement on a signing, thereby granting additional time to submit the remaining required documents.
Once the deal sheet is submitted, Premier League clubs receive an additional two hours, until 3:00 AM (Egypt and Saudi Arabia time), to send the complete official documents and files related to the transaction.
