Manchester City signed Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea on Tuesday in a reported £125 million deal ($167 million) that equalled the British transfer record.
But his tournament ended with a red card in the final as Argentina were beaten 1-0 to miss out on retaining their status as world champions. Fernandez won the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup in his time at Chelsea, but his relationship with the club’s fans was soured by what they perceived as his desire to leave Stamford Bridge.
“Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well-run City are,” said Fernandez in a City statement. The Italian was a driving force behind the deal to land Fernandez after the recent sale of influential World Cup winner Rodri to Barcelona, as well as the departures of fellow midfielders Bernardo Silva, Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders. “This is a club built for success. If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso had left Fernandez out of his squad for the last two games as speculation swirled over his potential switch to City. He scored twice in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, including a stunning strike against England in the semi-final.
