Chelsea have set a deadline of 5 pm (1600 GMT) on Friday for clubs to bid for Enzo Fernandez after which no offers will be considered, the Press Association understands.
The midfielder told the club at the end of May that he wished to leave with Chelsea placing a £120 million ($162 million) price tag on him, however there have been no concrete bids in the more than two months since.
Real Madrid, with whom Fernandez was linked last season, distanced themselves publicly in July, since when Manchester City have emerged as a possible destination – though it is thought their valuation falls some way short of Chelsea’s.
City are managed by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who Fernandez had a strong relationship with during their 18 months together in west London.
PA understands there is frustration internally at Stamford Bridge with the way the story has played out in the media, with one source calling the matter a “circus,” and there is determination that it not be allowed to become a distraction to Xabi Alonso and his squad as the Premier League season approaches.
It is felt there has been ample opportunity for clubs to make their interest known since Fernandez and Chelsea first made their positions clear on May 27. Should no team make a formal bid acceptable to the club by Friday’s deadline, the Blues will consider the matter closed.
The relationship between the club and Fernandez – who joined from Benfica for a then-British record £107 million in 2023 and is contracted until 2031 – has become fraught during the last several months.
He was suspended internally for two matches in April after telling a podcast that he would like to move to Madrid, while he also told Argentinian media in the aftermath of March’s Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain that he was unsure he would remain in west London beyond the summer.
His agent Javier Pastore said publicly in March he felt the player was underpaid, later confirming he wanted to leave following a difficult season in which Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League.
The length of deal he is tied to means Chelsea are under no pressure to sell.
He scored 15 goals and made seven assists last season, finishing runner-up in the club’s player of the season awards.
His signing in February 2023 in the aftermath of helping Argentina win the World Cup was an early coup by owners BlueCo, then in their first years of ownership, and he has been considered a key part of their long-term plans.