A deal of enormous proportions, which nevertheless hides a clear footballing choice behind the numbers. Enzo Maresca wanted Enzo Fernandez in Manchester.

He knows him, he trusts him and, above all, he knows what he can offer a team that is trying to rebuild its midfield after the significant departures of the summer. The two men had worked together for 18 months at Chelsea and the Italian coach believes that the Argentine has all the elements to become a central figure for the new City.

Negotiations have gained a stormy pace in the last 24 hours. Chelsea had previously tried to close the matter, demanding at least 120 million pounds and stating that they did not want a prolonged transfer story.

For a while, it even seemed likely that Fernandes would remain in London. But everything changed in the final stretch.

City resolutely returned to his case after their failure to acquire Cody Gakpo from Liverpool and this time left no room for second thoughts. The amount rose to 125 million pounds (145 million euros) and Chelsea opened the door. After all, the footballer himself had already made his decisions.

Recently, his relationship with the Stamford Bridge environment had begun to deteriorate. Jeers from a section of the fans, his distance from the stands after the match against Fulham and then his absence from the games against Luton and Brighton showed that a cycle was coming to an end.

A cycle that had begun in January 2023 with another transfer earthquake. At that time, Chelsea had paid Benfica 106.8 million pounds for the world champion with Argentina, creating the British record of the time. In the years that followed, Fernandes made 170 appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 30 assists for the Londoners.

Now he is once again the star of a historic transfer. And for Manchester City, it is yet another demonstration of financial but above all competitive determination. It is the second time in the same summer that the “citizens” have surpassed their previous transfer record, after they had already spent 116 million pounds on Elliot Anderson.

Along with Ayyoub Bouaddi, the two expensive additions mark the attempt to create a completely new midfield. In 145 million euro football, however, no one buys just a good midfielder. They buy a leader and, along with it, the demand to make a difference.

That is exactly what Maresca expects from Fernandez. At 25, the Argentine is changing city, shirt and footballing environment again. This time, however, he is going to a coach who knows him and to a club that paid more than anyone else in England to acquire him.

The 145 million euros have already written the history of the transfer. Now Enzo Fernandez is called upon to write his own.