On deadline day, Manchester City completed the £125m signing of former Chelsea midfielder and captain Enzo Fernández, making the Argentine international the most expensive signing by a Premier League club during the entire transfer window and Britain's joint-most expensive footballer of all time.
Among the comments on an announcement video posted by the Cityzens, striker Erling Haaland had his say on the deal, simply writing: “Yeah good now I can go to bed.”
Never one to shy away from a joke, as seen with his infamous “nice” comments on social media posts becoming a viral trend, Haaland’s light-hearted nature should be good for team spirit, despite Fernández being the subject of plenty of online criticism in recent months.
The anticipation surrounding any deadline-day signing is huge, but with former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca already familiar with Fernández and leaders such as Haaland welcoming him into the squad, City fans will hope the Argentine can settle quickly and earn his place with his performances.
Haaland And The Internet Have Their Say
To describe Manchester City’s deadline day in one word, busy would be suitable. Alongside Fernández’s record-breaking move, City had signed Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye for £65m just hours earlier, taking their spending for the day to around £200m.
While fans remain glued to their phones hoping for last-minute transfer updates, it is an often-overlooked side of deadline day that players themselves do not always know exactly what will happen. In Haaland’s case, though, he appears more than happy with his side’s new additions, particularly two Premier League-proven teammates.
Despite plenty of welcoming comments from City fans, Fernández’s multiple announcement videos on the Cityzens’ social media have also attracted a sizeable amount of abuse.
Much of it appears to have come from Chelsea fans angered by their former star player’s departure, particularly after his expected replacement, Lamine Camara, failed to arrive following Monaco’s late reluctance to complete the deal.
Comments branding Fernández “overpriced” and a “traitor”, alongside plenty of snake emojis, suggest the 25-year-old has not exactly left his former club on the best of terms.
Fernández will need to remain strong-minded, too, with plenty of English football fans already holding resentment towards him following Argentina’s controversial victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final, including the post-match celebrations involving Fernández and his Argentine teammates.
Furthermore, the midfielder was shown a straight red card in Argentina’s eventual 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final, prompting sections of the English fanbase to chant “you let your country down” during Chelsea’s opening matches. Chelsea supporters themselves also booed Fernández during a pre-season friendly.
With all the commotion surrounding his arrival, it will be interesting to see how Fernández’s blockbuster move works out under Maresca, particularly as City’s summer spending has reached around £458m. His first opportunity to make an impression could come when City host Coventry this Saturday.