Manchester City have agreed a £125 million deal with Chelsea to sign Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez on deadline day, matching the British transfer record. The move is the second time in Fernandez's career that he has commanded a fee above £100 million. Chelsea originally brought him to England for £106.8 million in the January 2023 transfer window, a deal that made him the most expensive signing in British football at the time.
Record-Equalling Fee Confirmed
According to The Athletic, the fee matches the current British transfer record set when Liverpool signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United in 2025. The Fernandez deal places him firmly among the most expensive transfers in Premier League history. Below is the full top 10, ranked by reported headline fee.
Top 10 Most Expensive Premier League Transfers
- Alexander Isak, Newcastle United to Liverpool, £125 million (2025) – Liverpool signed the Swedish striker to lead their attack, ending a lengthy saga over his future at Newcastle, where he had become one of the division's most dangerous forwards. However, Isak has yet to justify this price tag.
- Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa to Chelsea, £117 million (2026) – Chelsea paid a huge premium for the English attacker, whose versatility and goal contribution at Villa made him one of the most sought-after players in the country.
- Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, £116 million (2026) – As noted by London Evening Standard, City moved for the English midfielder in a deal that placed him among the most expensive British players ever bought. He was the most expensive English player before Rogers to Chelsea toppled it by £1 million.
- Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, £116 million (2025) – The German playmaker arrived from the Bundesliga as one of Europe's most highly rated creative talents, with Liverpool spending big to secure his future.
- Moises Caicedo, Brighton to Chelsea, £115 million (2023) – Chelsea won a fierce battle to land the Ecuadorian midfielder, who had caught the eye of Europe's biggest clubs with his performances on the south coast and was the British record at that time.
- Enzo Fernandez, Benfica to Chelsea, £106.8 million (2023) – His World Cup heroics with Argentina in 2022 convinced Chelsea to break the British record to bring him from Lisbon in January 2023, completing the deal minutes to the deadline.
- Bradley Barcola, Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool, £106 million (2026) – Liverpool secured the French winger's services for an initial fee that could rise to around £123 million with add-ons, underlining their ambition to stay at the top of the game and becoming the third £100 million-plus player on their books.
- Declan Rice, West Ham to Arsenal, £105 million (2023) – Arsenal paid a landmark fee for the England midfielder, who had captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory before moving to North London.
- Jack Grealish, Aston Villa to Manchester City, £100 million (2021) – Grealish became the first player ever bought by a Premier League club for £100 million, a milestone that now seems modest compared to the deals that followed.
- Sandro Tonali, Newcastle United to Tottenham, £100 million (2026) – The Italian midfielder's move to Spurs rounded off a summer window in which three players crossed the £100 million mark, reflecting how dramatically spending across the Premier League has grown.
Related Transfer Developments
Legit.ng previously reported that Chelsea exploited a loophole in the Premier League transfer regulations to send Honest Ahanor to Crystal Palace on loan. The Premier League forbids loaning two players to the same club, but Chelsea delayed signing Ahanor till 2027 so he could join Axel Disasi in South London.
