Why Man City have been laughing about Chelsea behind the scenes amid Enzo Fernandez saga
Enzo Fernandez has starred for Man City since moving to the Etihad for £125m, making Chelsea fans wince amid their own midfield drama. Indeed, City chiefs have been laughing behind the scenes.
On Sunday, City beat Man United at Old Trafford despite a red card. Fernandez was absolutely central to City getting one over their rivals, so much so that Chelsea fans realised how much they miss him.
Chelsea fans, how do you feel about Enzo Fernandez’s exit after his bright display in the Manchester derby?
Fernandez’s immediate impact as a City player comes at the same time that Chelsea are struggling in the middle of the park. On Saturday, the Blues limped to a 2-2 home draw against Hull at Stamford Bridge.
The midfield pairing of Romeo Lavia and Reece James failed to provide the difference or gain control of the match. This comes after reports said Fernandez handed in two transfer requests to leave Chelsea.
City chiefs find ‘amusement’ in Fernandez noise from Chelsea
The Telegraph reported over the weekend that Fernandez asked to go twice. It is claimed that Fernandez informed the Chelsea decision-makers that his relationship with his Blues teammates had broken down.
But according to a report from the Mail on Monday, those behind the scenes at City have found the news largely funny, given it has been two weeks since Fernandez left, and his move still dominates headlines.
It is claimed City find the reports largely amusing, especially after Xabi Alonso praised Fernandez after his departure and the attitude and temperament shown by the World Cup winner in the days beforehand.
City and Chelsea’s relationship has broken down significantly
Despite Chelsea allowing Fernandez’s move to go ahead despite Monaco’s decision to pull out of selling Lamine Camara, the relationship between the clubs has clearly broken down over the last few months.
For once, it is not all to do with Fernandez. City and Maresca have paid Chelsea compensation for the Italian’s move to City, with Chelsea confirming that Maresca was first approached by City in December.
It’s time to talk about our midfield situation… who’s getting your vote?
Chelsea believe that Maresca’s decision to resign – despite failings on the pitch and a clear fallout with the Chelsea hierarchy – was due to City’s approach to bring Maresca in as Pep Guardiola’s replacement.
A fee of £17m has changed hands as compensation, while Maresca is also expected to foot some of the bill. Now, with the Fernandez deal proving a hostile subject, it is clear the working relationship is dead.
It is perhaps the reason for Chelsea putting massive price tags on other players earning interest from City, like Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto. Ultimately, Chelsea are the losers, despite raking in £125m for Enzo.
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