Chelsea set their final stance with Man City for selling Enzo Fernandez this summer

And it is thought that Chelsea would consider selling him if City are willing to pay more than the £120m fee their Premier League rivals were initially demanding.

Whether City are prepared to do that remains to be seen, but Chelsea are ready for it after drawing up a list of potential replacements for the 25-year-old.

Chelsea CANNOT sell Enzo Fernandez this season – prove us wrong!

Our season rests on him staying this summer…

Once again, Chelsea are being linked with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott after having one bid for the English youngster turned down earlier this summer.

However, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Chelsea may not necessarily sign a “like-for-like replacement” for Fernandez but will definitely need some sort of reinforcement before they let him go.

Speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, Ornstein said: “Chelsea will need a fee that they deem suitable, and they’ll want to come out of it with their squad in a stronger position. Doesn’t necessarily mean a like-for-like replacement, but they’ll need to get reinforcement.”

Another midfielder whom Chelsea are thought to have strong interest in is Adam Wharton. The message coming out of Crystal Palace, though, is that the England international is not for sale.

Bournemouth have also briefed that Scott is not on the market, complicating things for Chelsea.

Chelsea should sign Fabian Ruiz to replace Enzo Fernandez

If Chelsea are going to sign someone to replace Fernandez, it should be Paris Saint-Germain’s Fabian Ruiz.

The Blues’ interest in him does not appear to be as strong as their interest in Scott. However, it was reported earlier this month that Chelsea have looked at a potential deal for Ruiz.

Ruiz is a very experienced midfielder, who is brilliant at retaining possession and controlling games. He has won two Champions League trophies with PSG and now the World Cup with Spain.

He has made 170 appearances for the French club and earned 50 caps for his country.

Ultimately, Ruiz would be a much better signing than Scott and Wharton and is likely to come much cheaper. He is 30 now and is not PSG’s most important midfielder, so the European champions may be willing to agree a deal at a reasonable price.