Chelsea can still sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea are said to be among the teams that are eyeing a move for SL Benfica and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, according to @RJPJournalism on Twitter (h/t Football.London).
Fernandez has been impressive for both club and country this season. The 21-year-old midfielder has played in all three games for Argentina in the World Cup so far, scoring one and assisting another to help them qualify for the next round.
The midfielder, who moved to the Portugal club this summer from River Plate, has established himself as a regular for his side. He has played in 24 games so far in all competitions, scoring three and assisting another five in the process.
Graham Potter needs to rejuvenate his midfield. Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are past their prime, with the latter struggling to stay fit for the past couple of seasons. Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have not been able to perform consistently, making reliability on them to be tough.
This leaves Conor Gallagher and Carney Chukwuemeka as the only young central midfielders in the team. Reinforcements are needed, sooner or later and Fernandez would make one excellent option to have in the squad.
Despite having played European football for only a couple of months, the 21-year-old central midfielder has impressed quite a number of clubs, including the Blues. His exceptional performance in Qatar for the past couple of games is only adding numbers to his stocks.
Reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that the 21-year-old has a whooping release clause worth €120 million in his present contract with Benfica. The club also have no intention of selling the player or letting him leave in January.
A young and talented midfielder, Fernandez would make a fine addition to the squad. While it is unlikely he will leave in January, the same cannot be said for next summer.
Despite having the likes of Cesare Casadei and Chukwuemeka, Chelsea would be wise to start future-proofing the midfield beyond those two. Fernandez would also be a much quicker addition to the starting XI as compared to the two teenagers if and when Kante and Jorginho leave the club.
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