Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has revealed his players repeatedly asked whether Enzo Fernández was joining the club before his deadline-day move, while Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso said it is now "time to move forward" from the saga.

Fernández completed a British record-equalling £125 million ($169m) move from Chelsea to City late on Tuesday night, ending a transfer saga that ran for much of the summer. Chelsea had initially set their own deadline of Aug. 14 for offers, but City made another late move with intense negotiations before a settlement was reached close to the 11 p.m. cut-off.

"He's a winner and when you belong to a squad and another winner arrives they are always happy," Maresca said Friday. "I can promise you that in the last four or five days four or five players in the squad were asking if he was coming or not because they wanted him to be with us."

Fernández could make his City debut against Coventry at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Maresca, who previously managed Fernández at Chelsea, confirmed the midfielder will not immediately be added to City's leadership group. Alonso said Chelsea must put Fernández's departure behind them as they prepare to face Premier League champions Arsenal on Sunday.