Enzo Fernandez’s comments following Chelsea’s Champions League exit have alerted some of his high-profile suitors ahead of the summer.
Chelsea suffered a humiliating 8-0 aggregate loss to PSG in their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday. Following their 5-2 loss in Paris last week, the Blues could not respond to adversity, and instead Liam Rosenior’s side endured a 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge at the hands of the reigning European champions.
The result has been one of the many headlines that Chelsea have made over the week, as they were also fined and given a suspended transfer ban for illicit payments to agents in the past. Questions are being asked of the ownership and their ongoing model for the club, as fears emerge over the futures of some of their current key stars.
Enzo Fernandez, who has 18 goals and assists this season, has brought himself to the centre of this storm following his comments that appeared on ESPN Argentina via Goal. The midfielder did not confirm anything, but his words certainly hinted at the possibility of leaving Chelsea in the near future, as he was asked whether he would stay at the club beyond the current season.
Fernandez said, “Will I stay at Chelsea? I don’t know. Right now I’m only thinking about the Premier League; we’ve got eight games left to play, and then there’s the FA Cup. In June there’s the World Cup; we’ll see what happens after that.”
Fernandez was reportedly considering his future at Chelsea as per recent reports, and should he make a firm decision, some high-profile suitors are waiting in the wings. Luis Enrique is pushing to bring him to PSG, while Barcelona are also keen to land the Argentine World Cup winner.
Real Madrid are also interested in Fernandez, and those three sides demonstrate that the demand for the midfielder heading into the summer window is enormous. It remains to be seen whether they are ready to act following his comments in the media, as Chelsea will anticipate several enquiries in the summer.
Signing him from Chelsea may not be straightforward, as the club have tied him down until 2032. Moreover, they paid a huge sum to secure his signature from Benfica in the January window of 2022, and the midfielder still carries a massive book value.
Hence, to lure him away from Chelsea, interested parties may have to pay a significant fee to begin negotiations. Whether anyone is willing to fork out that amount remains to be seen, but those comments certainly hint strongly that Fernandez might be open to the idea of leaving Stamford Bridge.
