City’s hopes of signing Enzo Fernández have received a potentially significant boost after Chelsea stepped up their pursuit of Roma midfielder Manu Koné.
Sky in Italy reports that Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement with Roma for Koné, with a fee of around £52m being discussed.
TEAMtalk has also reported that personal terms have been agreed with the France international as Chelsea attempt to get the deal done before the window closes.
The significance for City is clear.
Sky reports that Koné is being lined up as a replacement for Fernández, with talks continuing over the Argentina international’s potential move to the Etihad.
Koné could hold key to Fernández deal
Chelsea have been prepared to sell Fernández for the right price, provided they can strengthen their squad before the window closes.
That makes their progress with Koné particularly interesting.
The 25-year-old joined Roma from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2024 and has since established himself as a France international.
If Chelsea can get that deal over the line, it could remove one of the major obstacles standing between Fernández and City.
There is still plenty to resolve.
Chelsea value Fernández at around £120m and City still need to reach an agreement over the fee.
But the midfielder is reportedly open to the move and personal terms are not expected to present a problem if the clubs can strike a deal.
With the clock ticking towards Tuesday night’s deadline, developments at Stamford Bridge could therefore prove crucial.
Chelsea getting Koné would not automatically mean Fernández becomes a City player.
But with the Blues now closing in on a midfielder specifically being lined up as his replacement, one of the pieces required for a Deadline Day deal appears to be moving into place.
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