Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched figures of the summer transfer window in 2026, with interest growing from across Europe’s elite.
Despite being under contract at Chelsea until 2032, the Argentine’s future is far from straightforward, as sporting ambition, financial reality, and outside interest begin to converge.
Fernández remains a central figure at Stamford Bridge, both in terms of on-pitch influence and long-term planning.
Much of Madrid’s thinking is linked to the long-term outlook surrounding Jude Bellingham.
Should Bellingham move on at the end of the season, a scenario Madrid are not actively planning for but cannot ignore, Fernández is seen as a profile capable of stepping into a leadership role at the Bernabéu.
That said, Madrid’s midfield is currently well stocked, and sources close to the club suggest there is no urgency to act.
Any move would likely depend on significant outgoings, which naturally slows momentum.
Chelsea’s stance remains firm in public. Head coach Liam Rosenior has repeatedly shown his desire to build around Fernández.
Internally, the Argentine is viewed as a reference point for both the present and the future.
Yet Chelsea’s financial obligations mean tough decisions may loom. If the club opt to sell, sources suggest a fee in the region of €100-110 million would be required.
Goldberg and Bret Hart at WCW Starrcade 1999 - YouTube/WCW
December 1999. The 20th century is about to draw to a close, and Bret "The Hitman" Hart is looking to walk into the year 2000 as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. To do that, he would have to defeat Goldberg in the main event of the final WCW pay-per-view event of the year, Starrcade, the same event where Goldberg's legendary undefeated streak came to an end 12 months earlier. Following a No Disqualification Match that ended in similar fashion to how the Montreal Screwjob went down in WWE two years earlier, Hart retained his title. However, this would be the final WCW pay-per-view match of Hart's career.
During the bout, Goldberg delivered a Mule Kick that Hart reportedly didn't see coming and suffered a severe concussion in the process. This wouldn't be the only concussion Hart suffered at the end of 1999 as he would continue to wrestle on "WCW Nitro" and "WCW Thunder" heading into the holiday season, unknowingly causing more damage to his head. "The Hitman" would eventually vacate the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in January 2000 due to injuries, and even though he made a few non-wrestling appearances throughout the year, Hart never wrestled for WCW again and was released from his contract and subsequently retired before the year was out.
Hart had already been wrestling for over 20 years by the time he hung up his pink boots, but everyone knows that he would have carried on performing well into the 2000s had post concussion syndrome not taken its toll. He was even confined to a wheelchair in 2002 after suffering a stroke and still had the will to get back in the ring for one more run in 2010 for WWE, burying the hatchet with both Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels for what happened at the 1997 Survivor Series in the process.
So what would have Hart's career looked like if Goldberg didn't send his brain back to Calgary? Well we've once again put our hypothetical booking caps on and traveled to a strange, alternate timeline to see where "The Hitman" would have ended up, who he would have wrestled, and what his career would have turned out like if Goldberg didn't give him a concussion in 1999.
Not even "The Hitman" could pull WCW out of the spiral that the company was in heading into 2000, but he would have at least been a diamond in the rough.
WCW in the year 2000 is without question one of the worst wrestling products that has ever been broadcast to an audience. It is the most schizophrenic, non-sensical mess of a company that there has ever been and that's not coming from a place of hatred, that's coming from the people who actually worked there. WCW wasn't where you wanted to be in 2000, especially since WWE were firing on all cylinders at the time with the "Attitude Era," something that had taken WWE from being beaten every week in the ratings by WCW, to an international mainstream phenomenon.
A lot of WCW's most infamous moments vanish with Hart still as champion, which would have gone a long way to rebuilding the good will the company had continued to lose towards the end of the 20th century. However, Vince Russo still had the pen, and Hart's injury played a part in Russo actually walking out of the company in January 2000, so with that in mind, Hart probably doesn't hold the title for very long and WCW dies the same way it did in our timeline.
Bret Hart and Goldberg Don't Hate Each Other
Bret Hart and Goldberg on WCW Nitro - WWE
We're not saying Bret Hart and Goldberg were going to be skipping through cornfields and having picnics together, but they would at least be able to have a decent conversation with each other.
"The Hitman" to this day despises Bill Goldberg, and when you look at it from Hart's point of view, it's very understandable. Wrestling runs through the veins of everyone in the immediate Hart family, so to have the one thing that Hart, at one point, probably loved more than his own friends and family taken away from him because of something that was completely avoidable — you'd be upset too if that happened to you. Regardless of whether it was an accident, Goldberg took Hart's livelihood away from him, the way he made a living, the way provided for his family, gone because of one kick gone wrong.
With all that said, there is already evidence to suggest that Hart and Goldberg wouldn't have the beef they have now had "The Hitman" not been concussed at Starrcade 1999. While Hart did claim that Goldberg was someone who had a tendency to injure people during his matches, mainly for being too green and irresponsible, he did at one point have a soft spot for Goldberg. In the 2006 WWE-produced documentary made about Hart's career, "The Hitman" admitted that he regrets someone as kind-hearted as Goldberg being the one to effectively end his career, suggesting that the two men were actually on good terms until Starrcade. They were even WCW World Tag Team Champions together a week before the event; there was a time where they got along just fine. It's safe to say that the long-standing rivalry between Hart and Goldberg wouldn't exist today if it weren't for "The Hitman's" career-ending concussion.
A WWE Return
Bret Hart at WWE WrestleMania 26 - WWE
Following the Montreal Screwjob in 1997, the relationship between Bret Hart, Vince McMahon, and WWE was frosty at best. It would have taken something astronomical for Hart to be on the same page as McMahon at the turn of the century, but with McMahon purchasing WCW in 2001, "The Hitman" might not have had a choice but to return to WWE as that was the only game in town with ECW also closing its doors during the same period.
Assuming that the Invasion angle goes down the way it did, would Bret Hart have led the WCW invasion against WWE? Possibly. It could have been worked into a storyline where Hart decided to take charge of the WCW/ECW alliance as a way to get revenge on McMahon for what happened in 1997. That would have been better than what we actually got which was just more McMahon family drama, but making the highly anticipated WWE vs. WCW invasion be centered around what is effectively a WWE story in the Screwjob wouldn't have been as great as some would suspect.
Knowing that he had time to finally heal all the non-concussion injuries he had been dealing with in WCW, the most logical choice Hart could have made was join the likes of the New World Order, Jeff Jarrett, Goldberg, Sting, Scott Steiner, and many more in sitting out the rest of the Time Warner contracts and be paid to sit at home and do nothing. It would have given Hart the chance to reflect, regroup, and rest up for what was to come in March 2002 — WrestleMania in Canada.
In reality, Hart turned down the chance to be the referee for the Undisputed WWE Championship match between Triple H and Chris Jericho as he didn't want to make it look like he had forgiven WWE for what happened in 1997. However, another pitch was given to him by none other than Kurt Angle, who asked him if he would like to have a match in Toronto, blissfully unaware that Hart had suffered a near fatal stroke just a few weeks earlier. Whether the stroke was brought on by the post concussion syndrome remains to be seen, but it's impossible to imagine Hart, a Canadian, turning down the chance to wrestle at a WrestleMania in his home country. What's more, it would have been against a man he had not only never wrestled before, but a man he had openly stated that if he never retired would be a dream opponent of his.
Outside Of WWE
Bret Hart - Gallo Images/Getty Images
We all know by now that Bret Hart can be a little bit grumpy, and given that he still hates Goldberg, maybe a return to WWE would have been a little too soon. So if Hart is still healthy but doesn't want to go back to WWE, where does he go?
The immediate answer would have likely been overseas, specifically to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Long before he ever became "The Hitman," Hart wrestled for NJPW between 1980 and 1984 as his father Stu Hart had a good relationship with the company, resulting in many members of the Stampede Wrestling roster being sent to Japan to gain more experience. NJPW were in a strange time heading into the 21st century as the rise of Mixed Martial Arts in Japan, as well as the birth of Pro Wrestling NOAH, meant that NJPW weren't hitting the same heights they were a few years earlier. Having someone like Hart come in as the top gaijin would have been huge for NJPW as they would have a champion who was well known for the casual fans, respected by the hardcore fans, and still technically gifted enough to hang in the hard-hitting NJPW main event scene.
Unless Hart fully moved to Japan, he would need something back in North America to keep him busy, and fortunately for him, two opportunities were right around the corner.
Ring of Honor held its first show in 2002 and was presented as a promotion that showed love and respect to the sporting nature of professional wrestling, which is something that would have been right up Hart's street. He did make some appearances for ROH in 2009, one of which coincided with the final match of both Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness' ROH careers at the time, two men who would have had classic bouts with "The Hitman." Throw in the likes of Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and one of the most well known Bret Hart fans, CM Punk, and Hart would have probably loved to have put the next generation of superstars over in ROH.
If he wanted something with a bit more exposure, there was TNA. Granted, it would have been very similar to how WCW was for him considering he would have been around Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo again, but TNA would grow into the number two promotion in the United States throughout the 2000s, and that would have accelerated if Hart was a part of the company. Plus, Bret Hart vs. AJ Styles? Yes please.
When Does Bret Hart Retire?
Bret Hart on WWE Raw - WWE
When Bret Hart retired, he had already been wrestling for 22 years, which was rare in his era given how demanding the business was on people's bodies. As fun as it is to speculate on dream matches that Hart would have had if he never got concussed in WCW, the likelihood of him actually wrestling for many more years after WCW is slimmer than some would like to believe. Having said that, if he never got concussed, when would Hart hang up his boots?
Let's say he does do all the things we said he was going to do. He wrestles Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 18, he goes back to NJPW for a tour or two, wrestles the next generation in Ring of Honor and the wider independent circuit, and even has a fun little cameo in TNA and helps them get their monthly pay-per-views and "TNA Impact" shows up and running a little faster. Where is the natural end point for him? In reality, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 over the weekend of WrestleMania 22, and his DVD came out not long after, so the fences were being mended at that point, but he was inducted mainly because no one thought he'd ever step in the ring again, so a retirement in a different timeline would be a little later.
Ironically, for as bad as the match was in real life, his WrestleMania 26 match against Vince McMahon in 2010 is ultimately the perfect way for Hart to go out. His in-ring style was known for being safe so he could have easily had a 30-year career in the business, which would have given him enough time to appear in NJPW, ROH, TNA, and make his way back to WWE for one last run, a WrestleMania moment with McMahon, revenge for the Screwjob, a Hall of Fame induction, and retirement ceremony similar to what Ric Flair had at WrestleMania 24 two years earlier.
Hart could have been kept on as a producer to help out backstage, something he did offer to AEW but was turned down, and even though there would have still been politics to navigate, his knowledge would have been invaluable at that time. After all, could you imagine "WWE NXT" starting out with Bret Hart and Dusty Rhodes being the guiding hands? That warrants an entire piece in itself!
Manchester City’s relationship with Kalvin Phillips appears to be nearing a decisive breaking point, with the Premier League giants now prepared to sanction his exit in the final hours of the transfer window.
Signed from Leeds United in 2022 for a fee believed to be around £45 million, Phillips’ move to the Etihad has failed to deliver on expectations, and City’s patience has now worn thin, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside.
Despite being tied to a contract that runs until June 2028, Phillips’ standing within the squad has deteriorated sharply.
His limited game time, coupled with underwhelming loan spells away from Manchester, has significantly reduced his market value, leaving City facing a difficult balancing act between cutting their losses and finding a deal that works financially.
Man City valuation and wage complications
Sources close to the situation suggest City are willing to open negotiations at around £10 million, a stark contrast to their original investment.
There is also an acceptance that the fee could drop further if it helps facilitate a permanent exit.
The biggest stumbling block, however, remains Phillips’ salary.
Earning in the region of £150,000-£165,000 per week, the England international is priced out of contention for many potential suitors.
As a result, City may be forced to subsidise part of his wages to get a deal over the line.
Wolves’ interest centres on a loan deal that would include an option to buy, allowing them to add experience without an immediate financial outlay.
Meanwhile, Burnley are pushing hard in their fight against relegation. Burnley are the only club willing to guarantee Phillips a regular starting role, a factor that could weigh heavily in his decision-making.
For Phillips, this next move may define the remainder of his career. However, another unsuccessful spell could see his standing at the top level erode beyond repair.
A potential January exit for Brahim Díaz is emerging as a realistic scenario at Real Madrid, with the player’s limited involvement this season prompting renewed transfer discussions across Europe.
Opportunities have been hard to come by during the current campaign for the Morocco international.
Competition for places remains fierce, and Díaz has struggled to secure a consistent run of starts.
As a result, his representatives have begun exploring options elsewhere, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside.
England is viewed as the preferred destination should a winter move materialise, largely due to the promise of regular minutes and a more defined attacking role.
Real Madrid are firmly in the middle of a title race and are understandably reluctant to weaken their squad depth midway through the season.
However, they are not entirely opposed to a sale if their valuation is met. Madrid are seeking a fee in the region of €60 million.
Newcastle United need a versatile player like Díaz
Brahim Diaz in action for Real Madrid (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Since returning from international duty at AFCON, his role has been even more limited, further fuelling speculation that a change of scenery may be in his best interests.
He is a versatile player that Eddie Howe would love at Newcastle United. His ability to play across the front line is something that the Magpies need.
His technical skill set, ability to operate in multiple attacking roles, and experience at the highest level make him an attractive proposition for the clubs looking to sign him.
Real Madrid’s stance will likely depend on timing and offers. Should the right bid arrive, a deal could suit all parties.
Sources have informed CaughtOffside that Tottenham have shown interest, but they’re not alone. London rivals West Ham, Fulham, and Crystal Palace are also in the race, with Sterling’s desire to stay in the capital for family reasons giving them an edge.
Fulham’s connection with Marco Silva, Palace’s squad planning, and West Ham’s need for attacking depth all make him an appealing option. Brentford’s name has also been mentioned, though financial constraints weaken their chances.
The key factor is Sterling’s willingness to take a huge pay cut. From earning €375,000 per week at Chelsea, he’s ready to sign for less than a third of that amount.
This flexibility has attracted interest from abroad as well, with Juventus, Napoli, Bayern Munich, and Roma all monitoring the situation. MLS clubs have made approaches too, but Sterling’s priority is to remain at the top level and, ideally, join a team competing in the Champions League.
Raheem Sterling in action for Chelsea (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
Sterling should look to join a club where he will play regularly. He has struggled for regular football in recent months. His time at Chelsea did not go according to plan; he scored 19 goals and recorded 15 assists in 81 appearances. He will look to return to his best with regular football. There is no doubt that he could be a very effective signing in the right team. He has tremendous quality and a wealth of experience playing at the highest level.
Tottenham need a dynamic attacker who can slot into multiple roles and contribute with goals and assists. The England International could be ideal for them.
He has won major trophies, including the Premier League, and his experience could prove invaluable for Tottenham.
Login
