Chelsea's Deadline Day plan revealed after Enzo Fernandez replacement twist
Chelsea will not rush into signing a replacement for Enzo Fernandez with the transfer deadline rapidly approaching.
The Blues are left with just five senior midfielders after reported on Deadline Day that Fernandez had sealed his long-awaited move away from Stamford Bridge, with Manchester City signing him in a £125million deal.
Chelsea had already established a shortlist of potential replacements for the Argentine, including Manu Kone and Monaco’s Lamine Camara, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to get a deal done so late in the day.
There is no guarantee Fernandez will be replaced today, as the club are yet to make significant progress on either of their targets.
The option of signing Kone, though, appears to have been taken off the table. New reports in Italy claim Roma’s executives have drawn a line in the sand and will refuse to sell the Frenchman under any circumstances.
He started as Roma dispatched Lecce 4-0 on Monday night, and, speaking at full-time, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini made clear he had no intention of letting Kone depart.
Asked to respond to the rumours of his possible exit, the Italian said: “Absolutely not, it is a media thing, I know nothing about it.
“I know the owners too do not want to sell. I don't know who approached us, but we have not received any formal offers for him.”
Fernandez’s departure leaves Chelsea with Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson as midfield options. Dario Essugo is expected to depart before the window closes.
The club are expected to continue investing in the January transfer window, and may hesitate to rush into a deal on Tuesday night.
Chelsea are also known to hold a long-standing interest in Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, though the Cherries have also made clear they are not interested in selling this summer.