Enzo Fernandez is £125m risk for Man City, he ruffled feathers at Chelsea, has bad temperament and preferred Real Madrid

MONTHS of flirting, weeks of briefing and dubious deadlines coming and going – all on top of a British record-equalling fee. But is Enzo Fernandez worth all of the fuss? Enzo Fernandez has joined Man City in a £125million deal Credit: Alamy He brings a fiery temperament to the Etihad Credit: The Times The fiery Argentina midfielder arrived in January 2023 for a then British record £106million and is yet to prove he is worth that, let alone the £125m Manchester City will pay. Fernandez has delivered some significant moments in a Chelsea shirt, but has also caused them all manner of issues they could have done without. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! His goal against Paris Saint-Germain, in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, told the full story. Fernandez pointed to the Club World Cup winners’ badge – won with a win over the Parisians in America – after equalising at Parc Des Princes. Chelsea went on to lose 5-2 on the night and 8-2 on aggregate. Enzo Maresca knows the quality the former Benfica man can bring once the whistle goes, but before he had even met him had to wrestle with off-field misdemeanors. Following Argentina’s 2024 Copa America triumph, Fernandez live streamed celebrations from the team bus. Those celebrations included him and his teammates singing a derogatory chant which dated back to the 2022 World Cup, aimed at French players of African descent. Chelsea’s touring squad that summer, which featured Frenchmen Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto, were less than impressed. Maresca’s unveiling press conference in California was dominated by difficult questions about a midfielder he had not worked with yet and one who, eventually, joined the squad early in Atlanta and, tail between his legs, needed to apologise. It was quite the clean-up job. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Fernandez and Maresca went on to form a close bond, with the Italian’s departure on New Year’s Day the seed of his discontent which led to his open flirting with Real Madrid and talk of a Stamford Bridge exit which started in March. Madrid was Fernandez’s preferred destination this summer, but once the Spanish giants made it clear – in an unusual public statement – that they would not be pursuing a deal this summer, the focus turned to a reunion with Maresca in Manchester. The midfielder’s agitation to leave certainly ruffled feathers at Chelsea and should serve as a warning signal to his new employers. Fernandez spent just six months at Benfica before a December World Cup accelerated his move to Chelsea and he was happy to move on. What is to say that, after 18 months at The Etihad, his eyes do not turn to Madrid once more and City are left dealing with the sort of saga Chelsea have had to manage for the past six months. No one agrees a record fee to try and spin a player for profit within two years. The unsettling work of Fernandez’s interviews on international duty and the public assertions of his agent, former Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain man Javier Pastore, set him back at Chelsea. He was given credit for working hard for the rest of the season, but those missteps were described as countless self-inflicted wounds, but ones which could be healed had he committed to the club. New manager Xabi Alonso made it clear he wanted the 2022 World Cup winner to stay at Stamford Bridge having spoken to him shortly after his appointment on July 1. But that stance has since softened and, after Fernandez was booed by a section of Blues fans, he made a substitute appearance in the opening Premier League game at Fulham and has not been in a squad since. Chelsea’s ill-discipline has been evident for at least the past two seasons. Before even arriving at Cobham, Alonso identified a need to address the dressing room culture and clear out some bad apples. Fernandez played a significant part in the club’s record breaking discipline record. His poor discipline cost Argentina in the World Cup final Credit: Getty How he celebrated his goal against England won’t be forgotten quickly Credit: PA His sending off in the World Cup final, the first booking being for dissent, was taken as confirmation that there was a serious temperament problem. Maresca’s ability to calm this firebrand will be the deciding factor in whether City get value for money or not. Comment now