City to table Fernandez bid – but he is set to play in Chelsea cup tie

But City are now expected to make a firm attempt to sign the 25-year-old.

A move would rank among the most expensive in Premier League history, behind only Liverpool’s £125m deal for Alexander Isak last summer, and would represent a second club-record signing for City this window following the £116m capture of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.

However, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso insisted on Wednesday afternoon that Fernandez is likely to be involved in Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie against Luton.

“Yes, we expect that he’s involved,” said Alonso.

“He’s trained. He’s training really well. He’s a good professional and he will be involved.”

Fernandez’s year at Chelsea

Fernandez’s relationship with Chelsea has cooled since the club’s Champions League exit to Paris St-Germain in March, after which he became increasingly critical of the club.

Fernandez, along with his agent, former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore, had also courted interest from Real Madrid — though the Spanish club later issued a statement denying they had made any move for him.

New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso addressed the situation in July, revealing he had held a private conversation with Fernandez, though he declined to go into detail about what was discussed. The midfielder joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 for £107m.

Fernandez was jeered by home supporters during Monday’s 3-2 win at Fulham, a reaction rooted in his part in England’s World Cup exit against his Argentina side.