Chelsea transfer news: Enzo Fernandez future under spotlight as Blues 'take stance' over potential exit

Chelsea may reportedly be prepared to sell Enzo Fernandez during the summer transfer window, providing that one specific condition is met.

On Sunday, the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light that resulted in the club finishing the season in 10th place in the Premier League table.

Most notably, Chelsea have missed out on European qualification for 2026-27, representing a major fall from grace for a team that was crowned world champions in July.

Speculation will naturally persist that a number of their star players will want to leave Stamford Bridge, with Fernandez and Marc Cucurella having already indicated that they are open to opportunities elsewhere.

However, according to sports broadcaster Ben Jacobs, Fernandez will need to hope that one of his admirers are prepared to lodge a mammoth bid for his signature.

© Imago / Sports Press Photo

How could Fernandez leave Chelsea this summer?

The report alleges that Chelsea officials have no intention of selling Fernandez if they were put in a position where they would make a "book loss".

Chelsea committed to a £106.8m deal when signing the Argentina international in January 2023, and his reputation has only been enhanced while in West London.

A "book loss" could be interpreted as Chelsea wanting to recoup the funds that they shelled out on Fernandez, or the figure it would take to make a profit with regards to amortisation and the Premier League's and UEFA financial regulations.

Taking the latter into consideration, Chelsea would need to receive bids of at least £70m to £75m for that to be achieved, but BlueCo will naturally want to receive a more appealing proposal.

As expected, the report highlights that Fernandez would "welcome" an offer from Real Madrid, while "informal" and "formative" talks are said to have been held with Manchester City, who are expected to appoint former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as their new manager.

© Imago / Crystal Pix

Should Chelsea sell Fernandez?

With 31 goals and 30 assists from 169 appearances, Fernandez has established himself as one of Chelsea's best players of the last five years.

At the same time, it is clear that he is ready to move on from West London, and a campaign without Champions League football does not appeal to him.

Fernandez also appeared to wave goodbye to the Chelsea fans at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

While the finances must work for Chelsea, this is the perfect time to cash in on Fernandez, and any offer of at least £70m should be considered.