In a recent episode of the ‘London is Blue’ podcast, journalist Matt Law claimed that Chelsea are still hoping to seal a move for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Law said,
“They [Chelsea] may well make another bid [for Enzo Fernandez] I think despite all the criticism from Benfica, but they aren’t going to get as high as the clause. Graham Potter is very much on board with the move.”
Fernandez’s Excellent Form In Both Club And International Football
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a solid campaign with Benfica and Argentina after helping his country secure success in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which was held in Qatar recently. Fernandez has featured in 25 matches during this campaign, finding the back of the net three times and securing five assists across all competitions.
The 21-year-old has given a good account of himself in the middle of the park based on his average of 2.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.9 shots and 1.8 key passes per game in Liga Portugal. He has even been tidy when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.3% in the top tier of Portuguese football (stats via whoscored).
Fernandez is under contract at the Portuguese club until the summer of 2027. Hence, the Blues will have to make a big-money offer if they are serious about recruiting the Argentina international this summer.
Is Fernandez A Good Option For Chelsea?
Fernandez is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his side when defending inside his half. He can shoot the ball with power and accuracy from long range. The Argentine sensation has got the vision to cut open the opposition defence with a killer pass in the final third. He mainly functions as a box-to-box midfielder but can also serve as a defensive midfielder if asked to do so.
We can expect Fernandez to add more quality to Graham Potter‘s midfield and could help the Blues challenge for some major honours over the next few years.
Fernandez is playing some of his best football at Benfica and is well-equipped to make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge. Thus, it makes sense for Potter to engineer a big offer to bring the Argentine to the West London club as he would be an excellent option for him to consider before the end of this January transfer window.
