Real Madrid News
Chelsea star welcomes possibility of Real Madrid transfer despite talks with Manchester City
Real Madrid may have just received major encouragement in their pursuit of Enzo Fernandez after the midfielder’s latest actions sparked heavy speculation about his future at Chelsea.
The Argentine international is believed to be one of the midfield names being closely followed by Real Madrid in the wake of presidential elections.
With the squad entering a transitional phase, the Spanish giants are actively exploring top midfield options, and Fernandez fits that profile perfectly.
The Chelsea midfielder remains highly rated across Europe despite a chaotic campaign at Stamford Bridge, and recent developments have only increased doubts about whether he will remain in London next season.
What’s the story?
According to Ben Jacobs, following Chelsea’s defeat to Sunderland, Fernandez made a gesture towards supporters at full-time that many interpreted as a possible farewell.
While nothing official has been confirmed, the moment intensified rumours surrounding a summer departure.
Enzo at ft. Hope he stays. But if it's his last I hope he does well wherever he goes. pic.twitter.com/8fzKL71aSL
— Jonathan (@CFC__Jonathan) May 24, 2026
More importantly, as reported by the journalist, the midfielder is understood to be open to the possibility of joining Real Madrid and one of the biggest reasons behind his stance is Chelsea’s disastrous league campaign.
The London side finished the 2025/26 season down in tenth place, meaning there will be no European football at Stamford Bridge next year.
That situation has significantly weakened Chelsea’s ability to convince some of their top players to commit long-term.
In that context, Fernandez views Champions League football as essential at this stage of his career and that naturally places clubs like Real Madrid in a very strong position.
There is competition
At the same time, though, there have already been informal discussions surrounding the player’s future, with Manchester City also monitoring the situation closely.
City’s growing interest is particularly interesting because the club will move into a new era following Pep Guardiola’s departure, with former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca emerging as a leading candidate to take charge.
Even so, Real Madrid may hold one crucial advantage, which is the player’s own preference.
The midfielder is willing to wait for Madrid if the club decide to seriously accelerate their interest later in the window.
Chelsea will not book a loss
Although Fernandez appears open to leaving Chelsea, completing a transfer remains far from straightforward.
This is because the Argentine still has a contract running until 2032, meaning Chelsea are under absolutely no pressure to sell.
Just as importantly, the Premier League side invested a British record £106.8 million to sign him and are determined not to suffer a financial loss on the operation, and that creates a major problem for Real Madrid.
The Spanish club certainly admires the player, but they are also aware that any negotiation would likely require an enormous financial package.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
