Manchester City have matched the British transfer record by agreeing a £125 million deal to sign midfielder Enzo Fernández from Chelsea, bringing an end to one of the most talked-about sagas of the entire window.

The move hands new City boss Enzo Maresca his top priority signing, having previously worked closely with the Argentine during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge.

City had resisted meeting Chelsea’s initial £120m valuation earlier in the summer but ultimately matched the figure Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak a year prior once talks intensified on deadline day.

Chelsea’s hand was forced after an attempt to bring in Monaco’s Lamine Camara as a replacement fell through at the eleventh hour, leaving manager Xabi Alonso short of options in midfield.

Fernández had already signalled his desire to depart, having been dropped from matchday squads in recent fixtures, and had once eyed a switch to Real Madrid before ultimately committing his future to City.

This marks the second occasion Fernández has broken the British transfer record, having first done so upon his £107m switch from Benfica in 2023.

During his time in west London, the 25-year-old lifted the Club World Cup and Europa Conference League, notched a career-best 15 goals last season, and posted an emotional farewell message thanking Chelsea supporters and staff for their support throughout his spell at the club.

His exit also allowed Chelsea to bank significant funds, pushing their summer sales past £500m, even as their pursuit of a direct replacement continued into the closing hours of deadline day.