Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has made clear that only players fully committed to the cause will feature for his side, following the decision to omit Enzo Fernandez from the matchday squad for Thursday's 2-0 win over Luton Town.
The Argentine midfielder's absence fuelled reports linking him with a move to Manchester City, though no formal approach from the Etihad has materialised at this stage. Fernandez informed Chelsea in May that he wished to leave the club, prompting the west London side to set an asking price of £120 million. That valuation was tied to a deadline for offers set for 13 August, which has since passed, meaning the figure is no longer considered fixed.
Chelsea's stance has reportedly hardened somewhat given the shifting landscape of the transfer market, where three deals in excess of £100 million have already been completed this window across Europe, including Liverpool's £120 million agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola. The club believe such fees have reset expectations for top-tier talent, and are said to be wary of being pressured into a quick, undervalued sale so close to the deadline, which would leave little time to identify a replacement.
Despite this, Chelsea have not ruled out sanctioning Fernandez's departure before Tuesday's transfer deadline, provided any deal generates funds that allow them to bring in reinforcements. That condition suggests the club may hold out for a fee beyond the original £120 million valuation should City formalise their interest.
Alonso addressed suggestions circulating in Argentine media that Fernandez himself had requested to be left out of the Luton fixture, which Chelsea won thanks to a home debut goal from Danny Welbeck and an own goal from Hakeem Odoffin. The Spanish coach rejected that narrative, instead framing the decision as a footballing one based on player readiness.
"We need the players that are in the best situation to play," Alonso said. "We need to take everything into consideration, players that are in good moments, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me it's very important that they feel that desire to play and to have good preparation."
He was careful to praise Fernandez's ability despite the exclusion. "We talked, and we decided that (for Luton) it was better not to be part of the squad," Alonso explained. "He's a top player, there's no doubt about that."
When asked whether Chelsea would look to bring in a replacement swiftly if Fernandez were to depart before the deadline, Alonso kept his answer brief but pointed: "We have to be ready always."
The update on Fernandez comes amid a busy period of squad restructuring at Stamford Bridge. Defender Mamadou Sarr became the latest player to leave on a temporary basis, joining Real Sociedad on loan, while striker Liam Delap completed a £50 million move to Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
Alonso, who has previously spoken of the need to significantly trim his squad, suggested the club's transfer strategy was largely on track but not yet finalised. "We are quite close to the plan that we had," he said. "We will see where we finish, if it's fully executed or there are some things still to be done. But overall the balance of what we have is going to be good. We need to see how the last few days develop."
Chelsea now turn their attention to Sunday's Premier League fixture at home against Brighton, with the transfer saga surrounding Fernandez likely to continue running in parallel until the window closes on Tuesday.
Based on reporting from The Independent.