Chelsea have set a Friday deadline for clubs interested in Enzo Fernandez to submit offers of at least £120m for the midfielder.
The Argentina international has faced uncertainty over his future at Stamford Bridge since March, when he raised the possibility of leaving for Real Madrid.
Fernandez’s agent, Javier Pastore, subsequently claimed his client was underpaid and wanted to leave after a difficult season for Chelsea.
The club finished 10th in the Premier League and ended the campaign without a trophy after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City.
Real Madrid have since indicated they have no intention of signing Fernandez, leaving Manchester City as the only known potential suitor.
City are yet to indicate whether they would be prepared to meet Chelsea’s £120m valuation, with the club also targeting Lille midfielder Ayoub Bouaddi.
As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, Chelsea have set 17:00 BST on Friday as the deadline for offers and are expected to stand firm on their asking price, despite having paid £107m to sign Fernandez from Benfica in 2023.
The deadline is designed to bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding the 25-year-old before the new season begins. Chelsea believe they have given Fernandez and interested clubs around 60 days to complete a deal at what they consider a fair price.
New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has spoken to Fernandez about his future but has declined to reveal details of their conversation.
The club have made it clear they are willing to fully reintegrate Fernandez into the squad and continue to regard him as a key player if no suitable offer arrives.
Fernandez scored 15 goals and provided seven assists in 54 appearances last season. He then helped Argentina reach the World Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain after Fernandez was sent off.
The midfielder returned to Chelsea training this week for the first time under Alonso, with his future now set to be decided by Friday’s deadline.
