Jamie Carragher believes only one team are capable of dethroning Premier League champions Arsenal after a chaotic end to the summer transfer window.
Premier League clubs broken the all-time summer transfer record for the second successive season after spending reached a staggering £3.46bn.
Almost £500m was spent on deadline day alone, with Manchester City making Enzo Fernandez the joint-most expensive player in Premier League history in a £125m deal with Chelsea.
Man City were the biggest spenders over the summer, with almost £400m splashed out on a host of new signings following Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of last season.
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The deal for Fernandez was the result of months of negotiations and Carragher says the transfer not only boosts Manchester City’s title hopes but harms Chelsea’s credentials.
Many pundits have named Chelsea as dark horses to win the Premier League after two thrilling wins under new boss Xabi Alonso.
But Carragher says losing ‘big player’ Fernandez is a significant blow and means Man City are the only realistic title rivals for defending champions Arsenal.
‘Myself and plenty of others have felt Chelsea will have a really good season,’ Carragher told Sky Sports. ‘And I still believe that a lot of that is on the back of not having European football, having a new manager, the front three that they’ve got.
‘But they’re losing Enzo Fernandez, who, for me has been one of the big players for Chelsea.
‘Manchester City look a lot stronger now. I would say they’re going to be the biggest challenges to Arsenal right now.
BTS 📸 pic.twitter.com/Aj7I4zoRwE
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 1, 2026
‘It is a really good squad. There’s no doubt about that. There’s been a lot of turnover. Losing Rodri was a big thing and I thought it would be really difficult to recover from that.
‘But if you said at the end of last season, they would bring in Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, you’d say, that’s a top midfield. They’ve paid top dollar for it, so it should be.
‘That gives them the greatest chance of being the main challengers and maybe the only team who can really wrestle this title from Arsenal.’
Fernandez had been a mainstay in the Chelsea team since his £107m move from Benfica in 2023 but made it clear earlier in the summer that he wanted to leave.
Following his move to the Etihad Stadium, Fernandez said on social media: ‘I want you to know that these have not been easy days for me. Writing this is not easy either.
‘The truth is, I haven’t been in a good place. Three years ago, Cobham and Stamford Bridge became home for me and my family. I grew attached to the people, to the shirt, and to the badge of this incredible club.
‘Believe me when I say that, from the moment I arrived, I became obsessed with winning and with bringing this club every trophy that its history deserves.
‘We suffered, we cried, I got angry many times, but we also celebrated titles and unforgettable victories. Together, through the good times and the difficult ones.
‘I live football the same way I live my life: with passion and with all my heart. That is why I want you to know that I understand you. I truly understand you, from the bottom of my heart.
‘But life is about making decisions, and right now I find myself having to make one of those difficult decisions.
‘I’ve said it before, but I want to say it again: I have grown incredibly fond of this club. Chelsea will always have a place in my thoughts and, above all, in my heart.
‘But I also understand how football works. I know how passionate you are, because I am the same. And if I were in your position, I would probably be thinking the same way.
‘I want to thank every single one of you: the staff, the coaching team, the medical team, the physios, and everyone who works at Cobham and throughout this great institution.
‘To all my teammates over these years, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing so many moments with me. I was truly happy here, and I wish you nothing but the very best for the future.
‘Thank you for all the love and support you have given me and my family throughout these years. I will never forget it.
‘This group will give you many more reasons to be happy, and I will be happy for you too. Never doubt that.
‘You will always be in my heart, Blues. I will always wish you, always, nothing but the very best. Thank you.’
Fernandez could make his Manchester City debut on Saturday when Frank Lampard’s Coventry City visit the Etihad Stadium.
His former club Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday with a trip to reigning champions Arsenal.
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