Alonso stated that the club is still "preparing all options" for Enzo Fernandez's future.
This transfer saga has dragged on for a long time. The club set a deadline two weeks ago for an offer for Fernandes. After the deadline passed, the Argentine remained a Chelsea player, but his future remained uncertain. On Monday night at Fulham's home ground, Fernandes did not receive a warm welcome from his own fans, and on Sunday he wasn't even included in the squad.
The club set this artificial deadline, clearly intending to demonstrate Chelsea's willingness to keep Fernandes and pressure any interested club to match their £120 million valuation. This tactic failed.
With less than 48 hours left before the transfer window closes, the real question is: how much is Chelsea willing to lose to let go of this player who has already alienated many fans?
His hostile attitude towards England at the World Cup, as well as his behavior last season, have earned him a poor reputation.
In March of this year, Fernandez said on a Spanish podcast that he wanted to live and play in Madrid. Chelsea subsequently suspended him for two matches, and relations between the two sides have been strained ever since.
This isn't yet beyond repair. A few good games and a few key goals can often change public opinion, but Chelsea's handling of the situation has put them at a disadvantage in this game.
Manchester City are the only realistic suitor, but they've already signed Elliott Anderson and Ayub Buadi, so they don't really need Fernandes. They may admire him, but they're not in a hurry to make an outrageous offer, so Chelsea will likely have to make significant concessions if they want to resolve this dragging and negative mess as soon as possible.
