Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea’s ongoing desire for Argentina star with ‘hints of Luka Modric’ | Football News

It is no shock that the youthful participant of the event at a Earth Cup would attract interest. But that Chelsea would be willing to section with more than 10 times what Benfica paid out for Enzo Fernandez hardly six months back marks an amazing pursuit for the younger midfielder.

The backdrop of Todd Boehly’s seemingly-endless month of paying out does increase some context. But it even now does not absolutely demonstrate why the Blues would break their own all-time transfer history halfway via a campaign – without the need of any individual needing replacing – to signal a 22-calendar year-aged with half a season’s experience in Europe.

Get the cash out of the equation and Fernandez’s signing appears an astute a person and, searching ahead to the summer months and outside of, may possibly deliver a transition time period in advance of Jorginho’s probably departure.

He would possible be the Italian’s pure successor in Chelsea’s midfield just after the Euro 2020 winner’s up-and-down 5 many years in west London, and could perfectly demonstrate an enhance for Graham Potter’s beleaguered side.

The Blues have a key goalscoring trouble. A deep-lying midfielder may well not appear the clear alternative, but Fernandez’s contributions in the Primeira Liga, the Champions League and Planet Cup recommend normally. Chelsea have only scored 22 targets in the Leading League this time, just five a lot more than bottom-facet Southampton, and at minimum 10 fewer than any one else in the prime 50 percent.

The stats replicate the variety – Chelsea have established less possibilities than relegation-threatened West Ham, and no-one who has viewed them this year would say they have seemed in particular strong.

Fernandez’s characteristics make it plainly distinct why Chelsea feel he can help. However only midway by his very first time with Benfica, he has gained the second-most helps in the Primeira Liga, and developed 30 possibilities for his group-mates – some of them notably eye-catching, and a amazing pinpoint established-up for Goncalo Ramos against Sporting before this thirty day period potentially the select of the bunch.

“He is a incredibly interesting young participant,” European soccer expert Kevin Hatchard explained to Sky Athletics Information. “He is another person who plays in a deep midfield function with a attractive range of passing. He’s bought that mentality.”

It is that form of playmaking prospective which had Manchester Metropolis and Real Madrid intrigued in signing him from boyhood side River Plate past summer season just before he settled on Portugal.

At Serious, he might have been observed as a natural replacement for 37-yr-aged Luka Modric, a participant he has been likened to already. Anybody in his mould would be the sort of addition Chelsea would relish.

That comparison was produced by Fernandez’s outdated youth coach Gabriel Rodriguez. “Enzo is a player with a wonderful touch and a genuinely powerful outlook on the full pitch,” he explained to Argentine newspaper Clarin.

Boehly and Chelsea’s admiration of passing football performed a element in bringing Potter to Stamford Bridge in the to start with location, and Fernandez’s design and style would enhance it further more.

No-a person in the Portuguese top rated flight has built far more passes than the Argentine, but if he does prove to replace Jorginho at Stamford Bridge, he will also offer a thing in the ultimate 3rd – where he tops the charts for passes way too.

Ought to Chelsea want to play with a midfield two, he has taken accountability with no the ball at Benfica as well, slotting into an anchorman part frequently as needed. He has been one particular of the league’s top tacklers, and only 10 players across the division have gained the ball back again a lot more in the middle third, even with his significant output additional up the pitch.

Primeira Liga imports have yielded some sturdy returns in modern decades but if Potter and Boehly have taken Fernandez’s domestic dominance with a pinch of salt, the degree of his performances on the European and planet phase have delivered sturdy reassurance.

He begun all six of Benfica’s group game titles as they conquer PSG and Juventus to prime Champions League Team H, and was named greatest young participant at the Earth Cup in December – following in Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba’s footsteps – immediately after starting off five of Argentina’s video games en route to glory.

“His performances in the Champions League are a real indicator of another person in a position to puff their upper body out and participate in at a seriously high stage,” reported Hatchard.

“We observed the exact same matter at the Planet Cup, it did not faze him at all and he finished up profitable the event with Argentina.

“So sure, there is a huge chunk of opportunity you are paying out for in this article, but also an individual who’s packed a whole lot into a fairly shorter career.”

A nine-determine transfer cost would hang hefty in excess of the head of any player, and has weighed on the Leading League’s only other £100m transfer, Jack Grealish, in his 18 months at Manchester City so considerably.

But if Fernandez can shake that off and keep on demonstrating why Chelsea have been eager to portion with such an eye-watering sum, they will have a serious participant on their hands.