Gary Neville believes that Enzo's move to Manchester City is the most significant midfield signing of this summer's Premier League transfer window.
The Argentine midfielder joined Manchester City for £125 million on deadline day, ending his three-year stint at Chelsea.
Manchester City's pursuit was not straightforward. Enzo had been pushing to leave Stamford Bridge before the transfer window opened, and Chelsea ultimately decided that approving his departure with only a few hours remaining in the window was in the club's best interest.
Negotiations between the two clubs began on Monday, the second-to-last day of the transfer window. Manchester City's initial offer of £104 million plus add-ons was rejected, with Chelsea demanding a fixed transfer fee and valuing the player at £135 million.
Manchester City then submitted an offer of £125 million, which Chelsea accepted. Enzo was one of several midfielders transferred this summer. Manchester United signed Tielemans, Baleba, and André for a combined £155 million.
Newcastle United's Tonali moved to Tottenham Hotspur, Guimarães joined Arsenal, and Matheus Fernandes also signed with Tottenham.
Tottenham spent £185 million to strengthen their midfield, while Arsenal paid £75 million for Guimarães. Despite the quality of these signings, Neville insists that Enzo's move to Manchester City is the most important midfield transfer of the summer.
Neville said on the show: "However, he's better than the other midfielders who transferred this summer, isn't he? Is he better than Elliott-Anderson? I think probably so."
Neville continued: "I think he's more mature. I think he's better than Matheus Fernandes, Tonali, and Guimarães. So from a quality perspective, they signed a top midfielder, didn't they?"
Neville also said: "You look at Tielemans, Baleba, and André signed by Manchester United—among all these transferred players, he is the best one."
Manchester City made significant investments in this summer's transfer window, with total transfer fees reaching £454.2 million. Enzo is the club's most significant new signing. The club also spent £60 million to sign Everton striker Ndiaye, with fees potentially rising to £65 million with add-on clauses.
The 26-year-old Ndiaye was brought in to replace Marmoush, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur on loan earlier in the window. Before these last-minute deals were completed, Manchester City had already invested heavily in reshaping their squad.
Elliott-Anderson was Manchester City's first major signing of the summer, agreeing to join during the Club World Cup. Subsequently, Ayyoub Bouhaddi joined from Lille for a transfer fee of £85 million.
AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com