Gary Neville ranks Enzo Fernandez above Man Utd trio after £125m Man City move

Gary Neville believes Manchester City secured the best midfielder to change Premier League clubs this summer after completing a £125million deal for Enzo Fernandez.

The Argentina international left Chelsea on Deadline Day following months of uncertainty over his future. City initially saw a £104m plus add-ons proposal rejected before returning with the £125m offer that finally convinced Chelsea to sell.

Manchester United also invested heavily in midfield, spending a combined £155m on Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos, but Neville believes none of them match Fernandez's quality.

Speaking on The Overlap, Neville compared Fernandez with several of the window's biggest midfield transfers.

“He is better than the other midfield players that have moved this summer, though, isn't he?” Neville said.

The former United defender placed Fernandez ahead of City's Elliot Anderson as well as Tottenham pair Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes and Arsenal signing Bruno Guimaraes.

“He's more proven, I think,” Neville explained. “He's better than Fernandes and Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, I think.”

Neville's comparison becomes particularly interesting when Manchester United's recruitment is considered.

“You know, United – Tielemans, Baleba, Santos – he's the best one out of the lot that have travelled.”

United's three additions provide Michael Carrick with considerable midfield depth, but Neville clearly considers City to have landed the standout individual talent.

Fernandez became the headline addition of an extraordinary summer in which City spent £454.2m on transfer fees.

Enzo Maresca's side had already strengthened significantly with Elliot Anderson and £85m Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi before making their Deadline Day move for Fernandez.

City also spent £60m, potentially rising to £65m, on Iliman Ndiaye after Omar Marmoush joined Tottenham on loan.

Fernandez's arrival also reunites him with Maresca following their time together at Chelsea.

For Neville, however, the significance of the deal is ultimately about quality. Despite Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United all spending heavily on their midfields, he believes City emerged from the window with the best midfielder available.

Fernandez now has the opportunity to justify Neville's assessment as he begins life under Maresca at the Etihad.

The comparison will also increase scrutiny on United's £155m midfield investment, particularly if Fernandez quickly becomes an influential figure for their Manchester rivals.