Chelsea move for £106m star ‘not ruled out’ at Stamford Bridge – GiveMeSport

Chelsea could find a ‘simple’ solution with Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez by paying his €120m (£106m) release clause, Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has told GiveMeSport.

The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for the 21-year-old this window in light of his stellar performances for club and country in 2022/23.

What’s the latest news involving Enzo Fernandez?

Sky Germany, via journalist Simon Phillips, reported last week that despite rumours that Fernandez was moving to West London this month were said to be off the table, talks were back on and the Blues were believed to be considering offering players in exchange.

Hakim Ziyech was mooted as one of the players Chelsea may offer in a player-plus-cash deal, though it is unclear whether there have been any further movements in one of the sagas of the January window.

Things took a further twist earlier this month when Fernandez scored for Benfica in a 2-0 triumph away at Varzim in the last 16 of the Taca de Portugal.

In his celebration, The Mirror cited that the Argentine repeatedly patted the club badge on his jersey before pointing to the ground several times, in what some could take as an indication that he may stay at the Estadio da Luz until the summer.

What has Sheth said about Enzo Fernandez?

Sheth won’t yet rule out Chelsea returning for Fernandez, but has made it clear that they would have to activate the £106 million release clause to be able to be ‘free to talk’ to the Argentine playmaker about a potential move.

Sheth told GMS: “Now, the big one at the start of this window that has kind of gone quiet at the moment, but you can’t rule it out, is the Enzo Fernandez situation.

“Will Chelsea go back in for him? Well, it’s simple as far as Benfica are concerned at this moment in time, and that is he’s got a release clause.

“So pay the €120 million release clause and we can’t do anything about it, you’re free to talk to Enzo Fernandez because Benfica aren’t under pressure to sell him or negotiate that release clause because he’s still under contract.”

Should Chelsea continue to pursue Enzo Fernandez?

If there is any chance of being able to do a deal, Chelsea should look to sign Fernandez as a priority to boost their stagnating midfield.

Chelsea stalwarts N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are both over the age of 30. They are out of contract in the summer of 2023, as per Transfermarkt, leaving the club in the lurch concerning long-term stability in a critical area of the pitch if they choose not to pen extensions.

GOAL has previously mentioned that his release clause stands at £106 million, which would mean that any prospective move would come at a heavy ransom for manager Graham Potter.

Despite this, Fernandez has blossomed in 2022/23 for Benfica, as can be seen on Transfermarkt, showing his ability to contribute in an offensive sense with four goals and five assists this campaign.

WhoScored has recorded an average rating of 7.13/10 for the talent in his performances across the Liga Portugal season so far. At the same time, his exploits at the World Cup are still fresh in the memory of football fans around the world as he claimed a goal and an assist on the way to lifting the trophy with Argentina.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea choose to return for Fernandez in the January window.

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