In a recent report from Football.London, it was mentioned that Chelsea are in pursuit of Enzo Fernandez of Benfica following his amazing campaign with World Champions Argentina. It is understood that they are trailing Manchester United, Real Madrid and Liverpool to acquire Fernandez’s signature whose release clause is said to be a whopping £105 million.
Fernandez’s Excellent Campaign With Argentina And Benfica This Season
Fernandez is having a brilliant campaign at the moment as he has been performing exceptionally for both club and country. The 21-year-old has scored three goals and created five assists over 24 appearances for the Portuguese outfit this season, across all fronts, and also found the back of the net once following an assist in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The San Martin-born sensation has been reliable and consistent in the middle of the park by averaging 2.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 2.0 shots and 1.9 key passes per game in Liga Portugal.
He has even been tidy while distributing possession from midfield, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.9% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Fernandez’s contract with Benfica lasts until the summer of 2027, so it would take a hefty price for the clubs in his pursuit to stand a chance of landing him when the transfer window commences in January.
Should Chelsea Pursue His Signature To Bring Him Aboard?
Enzo Fernandez can strike the ball with power and accuracy from long range, and he has the vision to engineer some clear-cut chances for his teammates in the final third. The Argentine talent remains a solid tackler of the ball and he can make some crucial interceptions to win the ball back for his side. Furthermore, he remains confident in holding on to the ball in the central areas and can distribute the ball proficiently to his teammates.
Although the World Cup star remains versatile enough to operate in the holding positions and can provide decent cover for the backline, he is more of an attacking midfielder which does not make him a decent fit for the Blues as they already boast Kai Havertz and Mason Mount to provide creativity for their attack. Graham Potter is in need of a defensive midfielder who can provide cover in the back and maintain possession allowing the attack to flourish in the final third and the Argentinian does not fit the bill.
Moreover, in order to bring him aboard at Stamford Bridge they would have to pay in the excess of £100 million which does not make sense at all considering they have already invested a huge amount last summer. Potter can instead make use of a portion of that money to bring in someone like Declan Rice who has also been linked to Chelsea and can resolve their issue in the central areas. All things considered, the Blues should not go for the Benfica star anytime soon cause it would only be a futile investment.
