Chelsea’s agreement with Benfica over Fernandez. According to reports, Chelsea and Benfica have finally come to terms with the acquisition of Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine will sign an eight-and-a-half-year contract and pay the club a British record £105 million to join. It was the transfer tale that took the longest to resolve during the January transfer window, and it appears to have done so now. The Telegraph claims that in the closing hour of the window, the Blues reached an agreement with Benfica for Fernandez.
With this acquisition, Chelsea has now spent more than £500 million since Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital acquired the club in May of last year. Behdad Eghbali, a helpful owner, oversaw negotiations between the west London team and Benfica.
The price paid for Fernandez surpasses the previous record for a British transfer, which was achieved by Manchester City in 2021 when they paid £100 million to acquire Jack Grealish from Aston Villa. Throughout January, Graham Potter’s team has been desperate to sign the Argentine. Early in the month, they were hesitant to agree to Fernandez’s transfer release clause, but in the final days leading up to the deadline day, talks with Benfica were resumed (January 31).
One of Europe’s top midfielders, who has seen his stock soar at the Estadio da Luz, is joining Chelsea. The 22-year-old only signed with the Eagles last summer after leaving River Plate for £8.6 million. The agreement that will send their academy graduate to Stamford Bridge will net the Argentine club a windfall of £26 million.
This season, he has made 29 appearances across various competitions, contributing seven assists and four goals. At the FIFA World Cup 2022, Argentina’s dynamic midfielder stood out as a notable player. For a season in which he made seven appearances, one goal, and one assist, he was given the Young Player of the Tournament honor.
On the day of the deadline, Benfica’s lineup for their match against Arouca omitted Fernandez. He also skipped workouts when talks between the two teams appeared to be heading toward a conclusion. The personal aspects of the Argentine midfielder’s transfer to the Blues have already been agreed upon.
As the two players took part in La Abiceleste’s successful FIFA World Cup campaign, Messi showered his Argentine comrade with enormous admiration. In their crucial 2-0 victory over Mexico, which guaranteed them a spot in the round of 16, Fernandez delivered an incredible goal. He also contributed to Messi’s first goal with an assist.
In his evaluation of the player, the renowned forward praised the new Chelsea midfielder as being spectacular: “By Enzo, I’m not surprised. He trains every day, and I am acquainted with him. He merits it since he is an outstanding athlete.”
Fernandez joins a Chelsea team that is being rebuilt under Potter’s direction. This month, they have enticed Joao Felix, David Fofana, and Mykhaylo Mudryk to west London. Blues supporters will be hoping he can assist move their team up the league standings as they now sit in tenth place, 10 points behind fourth-place Manchester United.
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