Ultimatums are rarely the foundation of a strong and healthy relationship, but the rumbling uncertainty over Enzo Fernandez’s future has pushed Chelsea to the limit.The west London club have set prospective suitors a deadline of 5pm UK time/12pm ET today (Friday) to meet their £120million ($162m) asking price for Fernandez, with Manchester City holding a strong interest in the 25-year-old Argentina international. If nobody stumps up the cash by then, Fernandez will remain at Chelsea this season and form a key part of new manager Xabi Alonso’s plans.Last season was laced with disappointment for Chelsea, culminating in a 10th-place Premier League finish, far below their usual lofty standards. But amid the gloom, Fernandez stood out as one of their leading performers. He carried that form into the World Cup, including a thunderous late goal to help knock England out in the semi-finals, so it is little surprise that elite clubs are circling.Chelsea signed Fernandez from Benfica for a then British record €121million (£106m; $131m) in January 2023, a fee reflecting his abundant talent, but that ability has come with considerable baggage. He served an internally sanctioned, two-match suspension for comments criticising the club’s decision-making last season, while also making apparent overtures in the direction of Real Madrid. Given that chequered history, and the prospect of banking a substantial fee, should Chelsea cut him loose?Fernandez celebrates scoring against Manchester City earlier this year (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)The most obvious benefit of offloading Fernandez by this afternoon’s deadline is that it would give Chelsea the time and money to find a replacement, with the summer transfer window not closing until September 1. But he possesses a rare blend of attributes that is difficult to source in the market, and his positional versatility only adds to that challenge.“My personal view of Enzo is that he could play in probably all the midfield roles,” said former Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard in 2023, an assessment supported by his player-role dashboard, which shows Fernandez dividing his time last season between defensive, box-to-box and attacking midfield roles.That dashboard also highlights midfielders who mimic Fernandez’s bustling, all-action style, but most are either out of reach, such as Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai or Youri Tielemans, signed by Manchester United from Aston Villa earlier this summer, or surely lack the quality required to play for a club of Chelsea’s stature.Two 25-year-olds stand out among the more attainable targets: Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha and Manu Kone of Roma. Both profile as athletic, mobile midfielders, with the pizza chart below highlighting their ability to drive their sides upfield through progressive passes and carries. Kone is slightly more reliable in possession, while Nmecha, like Fernandez, offers an attacking edge and gets off a high volume of shots.But instead of trying to find another player with Fernandez’s range of qualities, Chelsea might be better served identifying what makes him so effective across multiple roles and recreating those attributes through more clearly defined positions, rather than relying on one person to plug gaps across the pitch.