Chelsea seem set to miss out on Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez after failing to agree a deal for his transfer with Benfica, claims reliable outlet Relevo. The Blues were reportedly the favourites to sign him in January, but seem to have lost the battle in the final hurdle.
Chelsea’s Deal for Enzo Fernandez “99%” Broken Down
Chelsea Set to Miss Out on Argentina Midfielder Enzo Fernandez as Talk Break Down
The Premier League giants are trying to make an impact in the winter transfer window by making some blockbuster signings to improve their squad immediately while planning for the long term. It appeared that they had found a long-term successor to N’Golo Kante in Fernandez, but they seem to have failed to get the deal over the line.
As per Fabrizio Romano, the Blues had promised to pay over £105 million and trigger his release clause to sign him in the winter. But in the end, they only made a bid of around £75 million, much lower than what Benfica were willing to accept.
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There are growing concerns that a deal cannot be done in the January window. The Portuguese side are really eager to keep the Argentine midfielder as part of the squad until the end of the season and then look to entertain offers for him in the summer transfer window when more clubs will be willing to pay more for him. Chelsea, however, will now need to re-evaluate his options and look at other potential options to improve their midfield in the short term.
Fernandez Stuck in Awkward Situation After Pushing for Chelsea Move
Enzo Fernandez will probably be really annoyed that his transfer to Stamford Bridge has broken down because he was quite intent on joining them after impressing at the World Cup as part of Argentina’s title-winning squad. He even pushed for the move to happen and told the club’s manager Roger Schmidt that he wants to leave the club.
Now that the deal has reportedly broken down, Fernandez is now stuck in an awkward situation. He will now need to reconcile with his teammates as well as the Benfica fans, who are probably unimpressed by how he tried to leave them immediately after getting some fame.
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The 21-year-old, who was called a ‘spectacular’ player by Lionel Messi at the World Cup, now faces the challenge of maintaining his high-performance levels so that he can attract more suitors in the summer window. Fernandez won the Young Player of the Competition award at the World Cup and will hope to have an impressive second half of the season, with his biggest challenge being to take them far into the Champions League knockout stages.
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