Alonso offers no guarantee on Enzo Fernández future

Xabi Alonso has declined to guarantee that Enzo Fernández will remain at Chelsea for the rest of the transfer window, leaving the midfielder’s future unresolved amid interest from Manchester City.

Alonso keeps the door open

Fernández continues to be linked with a possible move away from Stamford Bridge, and Alonso was careful not to make any firm commitment when asked about the Argentina midfielder’s situation. The Chelsea head coach limited himself to stressing that Fernández is currently a Chelsea player and said he has trained well since rejoining the group.

Alonso also described the midfielder as fully involved with the squad and said he is preparing for Chelsea’s Premier League opener against Fulham on Monday night. Even so, he avoided offering any assurance that Fernández will still be part of his plans once the transfer window closes.

That caution reflects the uncertainty around a player whose future has remained a live issue despite Chelsea’s unofficial deadline for written bids of £120m having already passed.

Manchester City weigh up a move

City are considering whether to make an approach for Fernández before the window shuts. The midfielder has emerged as a target as part of their rebuild in the middle of the pitch following Rodri’s move to Barcelona.

Fernández is not the only option under consideration, with Roma’s Manu Koné also being tracked. But Chelsea are clearly aware that City’s interest could yet develop, which is why Alonso’s comments stopped well short of closing down the speculation.

The source material also states that Fernández has not hidden his desire to leave Chelsea, adding another layer of uncertainty to the situation as the new season begins.

Chelsea line up possible replacements

Chelsea are already looking at alternatives in case Fernández departs. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have been identified as possible replacements.

Scott is understood to be highly rated by Chelsea, although one offer has already been unsuccessful and Bournemouth have indicated they do not want to sell him this summer. Wharton is another name under consideration, but Palace have already rejected an offer from City for the England midfielder.

• Manchester City are weighing up a move for Enzo Fernández.
• Chelsea remain interested in Alex Scott and Adam Wharton as potential replacements.
• Bournemouth have resisted Chelsea’s initial approach for Scott.
• Crystal Palace have rejected a City offer for Wharton.

Further movement expected at Stamford Bridge

Alonso is not only dealing with uncertainty around Fernández. Chelsea are also expected to reduce the size of their squad before the transfer window closes.

Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu have all slipped down the attacking pecking order and are likely to leave. Delap is attracting attention from Everton, Leeds, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest.

Elsewhere, Chelsea have interest in Pedro Neto and Malo Gusto, while Palace want to strengthen in defence by taking Axel Disasi on loan. For now, though, the biggest unresolved issue remains Fernández, with Alonso’s public stance doing little to remove the sense that Chelsea could still face a major decision before the deadline.