Man City sign Fernandez, Ndiaye as PL spending hits record $4.2B

Manchester City made a dramatic final-day splash in the Premier League transfer window, securing the services of Argentina international Enzo Fernandez in a record-breaking 125 million-pound deal, as the league surpassed previous spending records. The transaction came just minutes before the 10 p.m. GMT deadline on Tuesday, marking a pivotal moment in the summer transfer frenzy. This landmark signing, which matches the British transfer record set by Liverpool for Alexander Isak a year earlier, pushed overall Premier League spending to an astonishing 3.46 billion pounds, nearly double the figure recorded in the previous window. Fernandez, who had spent the last three seasons with Chelsea, was a long-time target for Manchester City, particularly under the guidance of manager Enzo Maresca. The 25-year-old, a key member of Argentina's victorious World Cup campaign, had been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium for several months. His acquisition comes as City seeks to rebuild its squad following a two-season title drought. With the addition of Fernandez, the club has invested over 325 million pounds in their midfield alone, including the signings of England international Elliot Anderson and Moroccan teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi. City’s efforts extended beyond Fernandez, with the club also completing the signing of Senegalese forward Iliman Ndiaye for 65 million pounds. This brings City’s total summer spending to more than 450 million pounds. Ndiaye expressed his excitement about joining the club, calling it “the chance of a lifetime” and vowing to make the most of it. However, the club faced setbacks in other areas, notably with the collapse of a proposed deal for Monaco’s Lamine Camara, who was sought as a replacement for Fernandez. Meanwhile, Everton saw their pursuit of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun fall apart after a 40 million-pound offer was rejected, though the club managed to secure Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City. Chelsea, too, remained active in the market, agreeing to sign 18-year-old Italian defender Honest Ahanor from Atalanta for 40 million pounds. Ahanor will begin his career on loan at Crystal Palace before making the permanent switch to Stamford Bridge in 2027. The Blues also saw their attempt to land Julian Alvarez from Atlético Madrid fail, although they successfully signed Gabriel Jesus from Barcelona, with the Brazilian forward expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Liverpool, meanwhile, continued their aggressive approach, spending 123 million pounds on France forward Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite this, the club faced resistance when bids for Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr and Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh were rejected, leaving Cody Gakpo at Anfield despite interest from City and Tottenham. Liverpool also completed the signing of Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans, though the 18-year-old will return to Genk for the remainder of the season. Ibrahim Mbaye, another wide-player linked with a move to Anfield, opted instead for Aston Villa in a reported 47 million-pound deal. Villa, in turn, strengthened their defensive options by acquiring Southampton center back Taylor Harwood-Bellis for 29 million pounds. Tottenham, unable to land Ndiaye or Gakpo, secured a loan deal for Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk and added Tosin Adarabioyo for 10 million pounds. Newcastle, meanwhile, made a notable acquisition by landing Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille in a 51 million-pound deal. As the transfer window closes, the Premier League continues to set new financial benchmarks, with clubs investing heavily in talent to gain a competitive edge ahead of the new season.