Arguably the most notable transfer saga of the window so far has been Chelsea‘s continued pursuit of World Cup winner, Enzo Fernandez, with the Benfica sensation seemingly a priority target for Todd Boehly this month.
The 22-year-old gem – who only joined the Lisbon outfit back in July – was reportedly the subject of an offer from the Blues at the start of the window, albeit with the Primeira Liga side seemingly demanding that the Argentine’s £106m release clause be paid upfront.
With the playmaker’s current side unsurprisingly showing a real reluctance to sell, it had appeared that Graham Potter and co would ultimately be frustrated in their quest to sign the 5 foot 10 maestro, although all hope may not be lost just yet.
According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the former River Plate man’s possible move to west London is still “one to watch” with deadline day fast approaching, even if securing a deal may still prove difficult to complete in time.
The trusted source stated: “It is definitely one to watch but, as it stands with only six days to go in this window, Benfica are standing firm.
“They want that release clause or the deal doesn’t happen and you’ve got to think, with so little time to go, they’re still in the last 16 of the Champions League and how would they bring in a replacement in the time that remains?
“Also, a potential selling club would know that they’ve got £106million burning a hole in their pocket and they’ll just raise the price.”
The youngster has warranted that persistent interest as a result of his starring role for his country in Qatar, having been described as “spectacular” by international colleague Lionel Messi after featuring in all seven games in the competition.
At club level, Fernandez has also blossomed in the current campaign thus far with one goal and five assists in 17 league appearances, while also notably creating nine big chances and averaging 2.4 tackles per game to illustrate his all-round quality.
Will Enzo Fernandez join Chelsea this month?
Yes!
No, not convinced
Should the long-time target eventually seal a switch in the coming days, the hope would be that he can replicate the impact of another man to have traded Benfica for Chelsea in the past, in the form of Nemanja Matic.
The Serbian international was originally sold to the Portuguese giants by the Premier League outfit in 2011 as part of a deal to bring David Luiz to England, only for Jose Mourinho to trigger his return in 2014 for a fee of around £21m.
That move – which also came in the winter window – proved something of a transfer masterclass as the towering midfielder quickly cemented himself in the side, going on to feature 36 times during the 2014/15 title-winning campaign.
Lauded as a “genius” by Mourinho – after the pair reunited at Manchester United – Matic would go on to secure a further title success under Antonio Conte two years later, before eventually departing in 2017 with seven goals and 19 assists to his name in 154 games across all fronts.
Such was the 6 foot 4 brute’s impact at the club, the aforementioned Conte was seemingly furious when the player was sold to the Old Trafford outfit, having been a truly commanding figure in the heart of the midfield.
With that deal to bring Matic to Stamford Bridge from Portugal having more than paid off, Chelsea could now look to repeat that masterstroke by sealing Fernandez’s signature before the deadline.
