Chelsea insist Enzo Fernández is expected to stay at the club for the upcoming season after no club matched their £120 million ($161.8m) valuation by Friday's self-imposed deadline, sources have told ESPN.
Chelsea gave potential suitors a specific timeframe to make an offer for the Argentina international, who had made it clear earlier this summer that he was keen on a move away from Stamford Bridge.
ESPN reported in May that Chelsea would demand £120m for Fernández should he push to leave but despite interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid, no formal bid has materialised.
Sources have told ESPN that the terms Chelsea verbally communicated to Fernández and his representatives by which they would consider a sale have now expired and the club expect the 25-year-old to stay for the entire campaign, seemingly also ruling out a possible January exit.
Enzo Fernández is set to remain at Chelsea until at least next summer. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images However, it remains to be seen whether City will test Chelsea's stance later in the window or how Fernández will react to the latest developments.
Fernández is under contract until 2032 and Chelsea were adamant they wanted to secure a profit on a player they signed from Benfica from £107m in February 2023.
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Sources claim new Real boss Jose Mourinho is an admirer of Fernández but the club last month went public with their insistence they would not make an offer this summer.
City's interest is complicated by uncertainty surrounding the future of their own midfielder, Rodri, who has been the subject of two bids by Barcelona.
Both were rejected by City but Rodri has one year remaining on his current contract and is open to leaving the club.