Xabi Alonso said he wants players that “feel a desire to play” for Chelsea after Enzo Fernandez was left out of the squad for Thursday’s win over Luton.
It’s understood that there had been no formal contact from Manchester City over a proposed move for the Argentina international.
Chelsea’s asking price of £120m, placed on Fernandez in May after he told the club he wanted to leave, is also understood no longer strictly to apply following the expiry of a deadline for offers imposed by the club on 13 August.
Chelsea believe that market valuations have risen following a number of deals in the Premier League and in Europe struck for more than £100m. So far there have been three transfers for a fee exceeding that figure, set to rise again after Liverpool agreed a £120m deal with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola.
Should Fernandez be sold this late in the window, it would leave the club with very little to time to seek out a replacement and at risk themselves of being charged a premium by selling clubs, understood to be a further factor that could raise the price should City make their move.
The door is not closed on the player’s exit. Chelsea are open to his departure before Tuesday’s deadline but only if it leaves them with options to strengthen, likely meaning they will demand more than the £120m asked earlier.
Alonso has dismissed reports in Argentina that Fernandez asked not to be involved in the game against Luton, which the Blues won 2-0 thanks to goals from Danny Welbeck on his home debut and an own-goal by defender Hakeem Odoffin.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game at home to Brighton, Alonso said: “We need the players that are in the best situation to play.
“We need to take everything into consideration, players that are in good moments, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me it’s very important that they feel that desire to play and to have good preparation.
“We talked, and we decided that (for Luton) it was better not to be part of the squad. He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about that.”
Asked whether Chelsea would re-enter the market before Tuesday should Fernandez leave, he said: “We have to be ready always.”
There has been a raft of departures from the club in recent days with defender Mamadou Sarr the latest to leave, joining Real Sociedad on loan. Liam Delap was sold to Nottingham Forest for £50m on Thursday.
Alonso, who previously said his squad size needed to be drastically cut, said: “We are quite close to the plan that we had. We will see where we finish, if it’s fully executed or there are some things still to be done.
“But overall the balance of what we have is going to be good. We need to see how the last few days develop.”
