£112m star now ‘frustrated’ over failed Stamford Bridge move

Chelsea transfer target Enzo Fernández is “obviously frustrated” after a potential move to Graham Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge this month seems to have broken down, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport.

The Blues had been looking to secure the 21-year-old’s signature during the current transfer window, but a deal seems to have fallen through for the time being.

Chelsea transfer news – Enzo Fernández

According to journalist César Luis Merlo, negotiations between Benfica and Chelsea for the transfer of Fernández collapsed earlier this week after the Portuguese giants insisted that the Premier League side pay the midfielder’s £106m release clause in one payment.

It had been reported that the Blues were looking to spend £112m in instalments to secure the services of the World Cup winner at Stamford Bridge, but it looks as though any deal for the time being is off.

Fernández was left out of Roger Schmidt’s squad for their 1-0 league victory over Portimonense on Friday evening following the South American’s decision to fly back to his homeland for the new year celebrations but has now returned to training this weekend.

Transfer insider Dean Jones recently told GiveMeSport that the former River Plate star has had his head turned by the interest shown in him from Chelsea, but a deal looks unlikely at this stage of the month.

And according to Jacobs, Fernández is frustrated at the collapse of the deal, having already agreed on personal terms with the Stamford Bridge outfit ahead of a potential move to the Premier League.

What has Jacobs said about Chelsea and Fernández?

Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Fernández is obviously frustrated because he wanted the Chelsea move. He’d agreed on personal terms but there was never a club-to-club agreement, and that is a very important point. It was reported in various places that there was, but my understanding has always been that there was never a club-to-club agreement.”

Could the Fernández deal be revived for Chelsea?

At this stage, it seems unlikely that we will be seeing Fernández plying his trade in a Chelsea shirt at Stamford Bridge this month after the Premier League side angered Benfica head coach Schmidt in their pursuit of the midfielder.

In a press conference, the German slammed the Blues for being “disrespectful”, stating (via The Sun): “It’s disrespectful against all of us, against Benfica. And I cannot accept what they are doing. So to make the player crazy and then to pretend that they can pay the clause and later they want to negotiate is, I think, not what I understand about what a good relationship between clubs who maybe want to discuss about a player.”

Therefore, unless Chelsea can pay Fernández’s release clause in one instalment, it looks unlikely that Benfica will be willing to renegotiate with the Blues on a deal for the young starlet during the January transfer window.

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