Chelsea can still sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez in January. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Portuguese outlet Record (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea are set to offer £87m plus three players to sign Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
Out of the three players – one is the out-of-favour winger Hakim Ziyech. The other two are January signings and youngsters David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos.
Daily Mail also reported a couple of days ago that Benfica have rejected the opening bid of £112m to sign Fernandez. Transfer Guru Ben Jacobs mentioned a week ago that the Blues are looking to play above the release clause of the player to make the payment terms on their side.
But, Benfica are stubborn in their stance that will only make the deal happen if the £106m release clause is paid. Express reported the reason behind this stance from the Portuguese side is that the player’s former club River Plate is due 25% of the transfer fee.
So, a lot is happening in this transfer saga involving Chelsea and Fernandez. The latest potential move by the Blues to offer money and three players gives away the feeling that the club is desperate to sign the 2022 World Cup winner.
With what we have seen of the midfielder in the last six months, he would merit the price paid and the desperation shown by us to sign him.
Fernandez is a top midfielder who can do it all. He is a pass master, can dictate the tempo of the games, is defensively sound, is dynamic on and off the ball and more. We have seen him doing well for Benfica in the first half of this season. But, the performances and the stamina shown in the World Cup were at a different level.
So, after all this drama, if the ending of the story is in our favour, we would have gotten a gem of a player. Nervous times though as the January window takes shape.
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