Beijing Time (CEST) September 2 — According to sources from Football.London, Enzo's close relationship with Maresca was the central factor driving his eventual transfer to Manchester City, and Enzo's personal determination to leave sealed the deal definitively.

This long and drawn-out transfer saga, which lasted all summer, finally came to an end on Tuesday night. Throughout the summer window, Enzo's departure from Stamford Bridge seemed inevitable.

Initially, Real Madrid appeared to be the next destination for the Argentine international, and it was indeed his preferred option: Enzo made no secret of his desire to one day establish himself in the Spanish capital, having expressed this publicly.

Enzo's agent, Javier Pastore, was very vocal in the media. Back in July, what now seems like a long time ago, he publicly suggested that his client wanted to move to the Bernabéu, a move that even prompted Real Madrid to issue an official statement.

Surprisingly, Real Madrid made it clear to its fans and the football world that it would not pursue Enzo this summer. Subsequently, Manchester City and Enzo Maresca entered the picture, but the process was not straightforward.

Despite Manchester City's interest in Enzo and constant communication with the Argentine international's team, it was not until the penultimate day of the summer window that Maresca's team directly contacted Chelsea to discuss acquiring the midfielder. Manchester City was confident they would not need much time to finalize the deal, and this proved to be correct.

Chelsea had initially valued Enzo at £120 million, but when Manchester City failed to meet the asking price before 5 p.m. on August 14 (Chelsea's internal informal deadline), the Blues temporarily withdrew that valuation.

Manchester City knew that a later offer would be higher, but decided to take the risk. Finally, after approximately 24 hours of negotiations, the Premier League rivals reached an agreement. Chelsea set a new club record for transfer revenue at £125 million, while Manchester City broke its transfer record for the second time this summer, having previously signed Elliot Anderson for £116 million in July.

Enzo will reunite with Maresca at the Etihad Stadium. Maresca is eager to continue working with his former player, and Enzo is equally enthusiastic. Throughout the summer, Enzo made clear to Chelsea his desire to leave.

Chelsea remained composed throughout the summer window, willing to let him go for the right price. Sources revealed that Enzo's close relationship with Maresca was the central factor driving the transfer to its final conclusion, and Enzo's personal determination to leave sealed the deal definitively.

Chelsea plans to reinvest the fixed £125 million transfer fee to strengthen its squad, but experts at Stamford Bridge cannot guarantee that these funds will be used to bring in new signings before tonight's 11 p.m. transfer deadline.

Football.London understands that Chelsea's two offers to Monaco for Lamine Camara have been rejected. The Blues only began negotiations with the French club on Monday, and now face a tight deadline to bring the Senegalese international to London.

Chelsea had previously been interested in Manu Koné, but given that Roma is unwilling to let the French midfielder leave, this transfer now seems unlikely. It is understood that Gasperini holds Koné in high regard and recognizes the value he can bring to the team.

There were also earlier reports that Chelsea could make a lightning move for Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall before the deadline, but that also seems unlikely.

Chelsea stated that it has generated over £500 million this summer through player sales and loans, and will reinvest at the right time. Now, Stamford Bridge is prioritizing the quality of signings over quantity.

However, this strategy has left Enzo Maresca with limited options in midfield, especially with Dario Shrestha reportedly heading on loan to Strasbourg. Currently, Maresca's available midfield options include Barkley, Caicedo, Lavia, Henderson, the versatile Reece James who can play in midfield, and Gusto, who played in midfield on Sunday afternoon.

One thing is certain: Chelsea fans are not happy with this summer window. Most fans wanted Enzo to leave, but they also expected the team to bring in new signings. As it stands, Chelsea appears to have strengthened a Premier League rival's squad while weakening its own.

Traducido por IA.

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