Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez is “critical” to the Stamford Bridge outfit, as journalist Paul Brown provides GIVEMESPORT with his verdict on the star’s best role.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues side have enjoyed a recent resurgence in their form.
Chelsea confirmed the signing of Benfica midfielder Fernandez in a deal worth close to £107m following the conclusion of the winter transfer window this year. At the time, the deal was a Premier League record signing, only surpassed by the Blues’ acquisition of Brighton & Hove Albion and Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo later in the year.
The 22-year-old joined Benfica from River Plate a few months prior for around £10m, but put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge. His signing was part of a strategy implemented by co-owner and chairman Todd Boehly to sign the globe’s best young talent. The Blues paid an initial £30m to secure Fernandez’ signature and will continue to pay the fee back in five instalments. Upon his arrival, Fernandez told Chelsea’s official website:
“I am grateful to Chelsea and its ownership for doing everything they could to make me a part of this project. I’m happy and excited to join the Pride of London, to play in the best league in the world, and to compete for the biggest trophies. I can’t wait to play in front of our fans and help my teammates on and off the pitch.”
Fernandez endured a mixed start to life in west London, not helped by head coach Graham Potter’s sacking before Frank Lampard took charge for the remainder of the season. The Blues finished a disappointing 12th in the Premier League without claiming a single trophy.
However, the appointment of compatriot Pochettino earlier this year inspired an upturn in Fernandez’s performances, who is starting to display why Chelsea shelved a massive fee for his services. The San Martin-born star bagged his first goal at Stamford Bridge in the side’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over AFC Wimbledon in August and has started every Premier League game this season.
After another mixed start to the season, Chelsea earned 2-0 and 4-1 victories at Fulham and Burnley, respectively, before the international break. It leaves the Blues 11th in the Premier League, six points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot. In April, journalist Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Chelsea’s next manager (Pochettino) should build the side around Fernandez.
Brown sees Fernandez as Chelsea’s “marquee player in years to come”, hinting he’s a fan of the one-time World Cup winner. The journalist believes the South American operates best in a role where he can dictate games. Brown told GIVEMESPORT:
“I think Fernandez is critical to Chelsea. I think he’s potentially their marquee player in years to come. I think they should build the team around him. It’s been frustrating to see him shoehorned into areas of the pitch where he doesn’t have the same influence. I like him in a deeper role where he can run games, drive forward, and pick players out. He can be very creative and is a threat in front of goal too.”
According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich are interested in signing Schalke youngster Assan Ouedraogo. The teenager has been a regular in the 2. Bundesliga for the German giants, and has a contract that runs until the summer of 2027, which becomes active on his 18th birthday next May. He is technically gifted and dubbed the ‘German Pogba.’ The same outlet says that negotiations for the midfielder must begin at £15m for Schalke to consider his departure.
Meanwhile, Calciomercato has claimed that Chelsea and Juventus are monitoring the Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra’s situation. Wolverhampton Wanderers retain an interest in the 19-year-old, who had a bid turned down for his services during the recent summer transfer window. However, Chelsea’s relationship with Strasbourg could turn the transfer saga in their favour.
ESPN reports that the Blues could move for Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen in January. The club are in the market for a centre-forward and are also monitoring Brentford’s Ivan Toney, currently serving a ban for breaching the FA’s rules on gambling.
Real Madrid are credited with interest in Osimhen, and Chelsea’s move for the Serie A star could depend on the outcome of talks with Toney. Osimhen could leave Naples in 2024 after the club appeared to mock the star after missing a penalty in a TikTok upload.
