Chelsea prepared to wait for Enzo Fernandez replacement after £125m Man City move

Chelsea are prepared to finish Deadline Day without directly replacing Enzo Fernandez after the midfielder completed his £125million move to Manchester City.

The Blues had already identified several possible replacements before Fernandez's departure, including Roma midfielder Manu Kone and Monaco's Lamine Camara, but neither pursuit has progressed sufficiently for a late deal to be considered certain.

Rather than make a signing simply because Fernandez has left, Chelsea are willing to work with their existing midfield options and potentially return to the market in January.

Fernandez's long-running transfer saga has finally ended with Manchester City agreeing a £125m deal for the Argentina international.

His departure leaves Chelsea with Moises Caicedo, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson as their five senior midfield options.

That represents a relatively small group for Xabi Alonso to work with, particularly given the demands of competing across several competitions.

Chelsea, however, are not prepared to allow their reduced numbers to force them into an expensive Deadline Day decision.

The club expect to invest again during the January transfer window and could wait until then if their preferred targets are unavailable.

One of Chelsea's possible solutions already appears to have disappeared.

Roma have no intention of selling Kone and reports from Italy indicate the Serie A club's hierarchy have completely ruled out a Deadline Day departure.

Kone started Roma's 4-0 victory over Lecce on Monday and manager Gian Piero Gasperini dismissed suggestions that the French midfielder could leave.

“Absolutely not, it is a media thing, I know nothing about it,” Gasperini said.

“I know the owners too do not want to sell. I don't know who approached us, but we have not received any formal offers for him.”

That stance leaves Chelsea with little room to negotiate so close to the deadline.

Monaco midfielder Camara is another player Chelsea have identified as a potential Fernandez replacement.

Unlike with Kone, the door has not been publicly closed, but Chelsea have yet to make enough progress for a transfer to appear imminent.

That creates a straightforward choice for the Blues: accelerate negotiations during the final hours or trust Alonso's existing options until January.

Chelsea also retain a long-standing interest in Bournemouth's Alex Scott.

Scott had previously emerged as their leading option should Fernandez leave, but Bournemouth have repeatedly made clear that they do not intend to sell the 23-year-old this summer.

With Kone unavailable and Scott effectively blocked, Chelsea appear increasingly prepared to resist making a reactionary signing.

Chelsea can continue exploring Camara and other possibilities during the remaining hours, but the club will not rush into a deal simply to increase Alonso's numbers.

If no suitable opportunity emerges, the Blues are prepared to enter the next part of the season with their existing midfield options before reassessing the position when the January window opens.