Alonso makes Enzo Fernandez U-turn as blockbuster Chelsea, Man City transfer given fresh hope

Enzo Fernandez seems to be inching closer to a Chelsea exit than ever before after Xabi Alonso suggested the Manchester City target is not “100% focused”.

Fernandez has been linked with a move to Man City for weeks now, but just a couple of days out from the summer window shutting, the 25-year-old remains a Chelsea player.

Less than a fortnight ago, new Chelsea head coach Alonso said the Argentina international had a “really good attitude” ahead of their Premier League opener against Fulham – a game they won 3-2.

“Enzo is a Chelsea player. We are happy with him and he’s getting ready for Monday,” he said. “He has integrated really well, is training really well and I see him with a really good attitude and that’s what we want.”

This came months on from Chelsea agreeing with Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, that the former Benfica star could leave the Blues for £120m, but set a deadline of 14 August for any bids.

As time has gone by, however, Fernandez’s future at Chelsea seems less and less certain. In midweek, he was left out of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup win over Luton Town.

Alonso said on that decision, “We need the players that are in the best situation to play. We need to take everything into consideration — players that are in a good moment, players that are not feeling that energy to play.

“For me, it is very important they feel this desire to play and to have good preparation.”

Enzo Fernandez faces uncertain Chelsea future

Then before Chelsea’s Sunday afternoon Premier League home game against Brighton and Hove Albion, Fernandez was a noteworthy absentee from Alonso’s matchday squad.

Before the 2pm encounter, Alonso was asked why Fernandez was not in the squad, to which he told Sky Sports, “We need the squad to be 100% focused.”

His former Chelsea boss, Enzo Maresca, is said to want to bring the midfielder to the Etihad after the Italian took over from Pep Guardiola earlier this summer.

Fernandez came off the bench in the win over Fulham, replacing Romeo Lavia in midfield.

When he came back from his summer break, there were a smattering of boos from Chelsea fans in a pre-season friendly at Stamford Bridge.

He has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the past but it seems a Santiago Bernabeu switch is not in the offing for the foreseeable future.

Fernandez appears to want a Chelsea exit but whether or not a deal can be struck remains to be seen. But this move from Alonso suggests all is not well for the Argentine.