Man City urged to snub Enzo Fernandez and sign £60million Premier League alternative

Manchester City have been told to consider signing Adam Wharton instead of Enzo Fernandez as they look to replace Rodri.

The Citizens are looking to add another midfielder to their ranks after influential midfielder Rodri left to join Barcelona for a fee in the region of £65million.

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While the departure of Spain’s World Cup-winning captain is a huge loss, City appear to have made replacing him a priority this summer.

Elliot Anderson was signed for £116m at the start of the window, and Morocco star Ayyoub Bouaddi is also expected to move to the Etihad, with personal terms agreed with Lille.

However, after Rodri‘s exit, another star is likely to be needed to bolster their midfield options.

Chelsea’s Fernandez has been heavily linked with a move, although any deal is currently up in the air after the Citizens missed his 5pm deadline last Friday to complete their business.

Wharton tipped for big move

With Chelsea demanding £120m for Fernandez, City would once again have to complete a nine-digit transfer to snap up the Argentina star.

But talkSPORT’s McCoist felt there is a better option available, and one which is likely to prove less expensive.

He pointed to Crystal Palace star Wharton, who has long been tipped for a big move, with Manchester United’s interest already known.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, McCoist said: “I like him [Wharton] a lot…

“I think Wharton is more like Rodri than Fernandez is, I don’t think they’re going to get like-for-like now Rodri’s left, he’s the best at what he does.

“But I think you’d make a case that Wharton [is more like Rodri].

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“The ball comes to him and the first thing he does is look forward, I really like him, I think he’d be an excellent signing.”

With Wharton earning huge praise for his ability to dictate play in midfield, this makes him more similar in profile to Rodri.

Palace’s price tag for him is unclear, although it was previously reported that Man United were plotting a £60m bid this summer.

That now appears unlikely to materialise, but if the Eagles demand a fee in this region, it would make Wharton a far cheaper option than Fernandez.

The 22-year-old has impressed since his move to Selhurst Park in February 2024, with his technical ability and vision catching the eye.

His exploits saw him named in England Euro 2024 squad, but he was a notable omission by Thomas Tuchel for this summer’s World Cup.

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Despite this, Wharton has continued to draw admirers, and his performance in Palace’s Conference League final victory over Rayo Vallecano even saw him labelled good enough to play for Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

The Blackburn academy graduate is poised to begin the new season at Palace, who are gearing up for Europa League football after Conference League glory.

There’s also a new coach at the helm of Palace in Pierre Sage, who takes over from Oliver Glasner after he left at the end of his contract, but has since joined Nottingham Forest.