Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea have signed Benfica and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez for €120m, but what do you need to know about the youngster?

At that time they told me that they preferred to wait because he was very young and I told them that it was better for him to make the move from that moment on because it took a while to adapt to the big pitch. He is a spectacular person, very humble and a very important player for us." He has been giving us many solutions and the most remarkable thing is that he knows that if he plays for the team he will continue to stand out." [quoted in La Pagina Millonaria in December](https://lapaginamillonaria.com/riverplate/Scaloni-sobre-Enzo-Fernandez-Es-un-chico-que-tiene-un-futuro-enorme-20221208-0005.html): "He's made huge progress and we are very happy with his contribution. But will he still be as efficient when the pace of the game is taken up a notch, the pressing is more intense and there's less time on the ball? And therein lays the tricky nature of labelling him: he's so complete that it is hard to put him in a defined positional box. He also helped the club to top their UEFA Champions League group ahead of [Paris Saint-Germain](/soccer/team?id=160) and [Juventus](/soccer/team?id=111) and reach the knockout stages. While only 5-foot-10 and slight of build, the 22-year-old goes a long way to compensate his physical limitations with tenacity and character. [Chelsea made the move to secure his signature](/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4865591/chelsea-sign-enzo-fernandez-from-benfica-after-meeting-120m-release-clause-sources) ahead of their rivals on deadline day. [Poland](/soccer/team?id=471) on, he cemented his place in the first XI. Now [Chelsea](/soccer/team?id=363) have made him a British-record transfer, and one of the most expensive players in the world, with a €120m transfer. Benfica snapped him up in the summer of 2022 and gave him the No.

Chelsea agree a British record 120m euro (£106m) deal with Benfica for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Manchester United Club leaving Club joining Manchester City

Chelsea's staggering spending spree continued when they broke the British transfer record to sign Enzo Fernández for €121m (£106.8m)

The last-ditch nature of the move for Fernández ended any chance of Conor Gallagher leaving Chelsea, who had interest in the midfielder from Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Everton. Potter’s team are out of both cups and face a fight to qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea will be able to register only three signings in their 25-man squad for the Champions League. However Uefa is set to change those regulations from the summer, with clubs expected to be stopped from spreading the cost of fees for more than a period of five years. Amortisation is the key – spreading the cost of a fee over the length of a contract. [sold Jorginho to Arsenal](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jan/31/arsenal-jorginho-deal-chelsea-caicedo-brighton) for £10m plus £2m in add-ons earlier in the evening, reached an agreement with Benfica about two hours before the window shut at 11pm UK time.

Fernandez will move to Chelsea for a Premier League-record transfer fee with a contract that runs through 2031, the sources added. The 22-year-old impressed for ...

[Argentina](/football/team?id=202) as they won the 2022 World Cup and was named the Young Player of the Tournament. [Benoit Badiashile](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/282585/Benoit-Badiashile), [David Datro Fofana](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/301047/David-Datro-Fofana), [Andrey Santos](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/314858/Andrey-Santos), [Mykhailo Mudryk](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/299911/Mykhailo-Mudryk), [Noni Madueke](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/293236/Noni-Madueke) and [Malo Gusto](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/308947/Malo-Gusto) into the club. [ESPN reported on Monday](/soccer-transfers/story/4865374/chelsea-inching-closer-to-deal-for-benficas-enzo-fernandez) that Fernandez had already agreed personal terms with Chelsea and was pushing the Portuguese club hard to reach an agreement with the Blues. [All the done deals from Wednesday](/football/blog-transfer-talk/story/4865450/live-january-transfer-deadline-day-all-the-latest-news-and-gossip) [Chelsea](/football/team?id=363) have signed [Enzo Fernandez](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/285450/Enzo-Fernández) from [Benfica](/football/team?id=1929) after meeting the midfielder's €120 million (£105m) release clause, the Portuguese side announced on Tuesday. [previous Premier League record fee of £100m](/football/soccer-transfers/story/4443484/manchester-city-sign-jack-grealish-from-aston-villa-for-british-record-fee) that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish when he joined from Aston Villa in 2021.

Chelsea have signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica after meeting the midfielder's €120 million release clause, the Portuguese side said on Tuesday.

[Argentina](/soccer/team?id=202) as they won the 2022 World Cup and was named the Young Player of the Tournament. [Benoit Badiashile](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/282585/Benoit-Badiashile), [David Datro Fofana](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/301047/David-Datro-Fofana), [Andrey Santos](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/314858/Andrey-Santos), [Mykhailo Mudryk](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/299911/Mykhailo-Mudryk), [Noni Madueke](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/293236/Noni-Madueke) and [Malo Gusto](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/308947/Malo-Gusto) into the club. [ESPN reported on Monday](/soccer-transfers/story/4865374/chelsea-inching-closer-to-deal-for-benficas-enzo-fernandez) that Fernandez had already agreed personal terms with Chelsea and was pushing the Portuguese club hard to reach an agreement with the Blues. [All the done deals from Wednesday](/soccer/blog-transfer-talk/story/4865450/live-january-transfer-deadline-day-all-the-latest-news-and-gossip) [Chelsea](/soccer/team?id=363) have signed [Enzo Fernandez](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/285450/Enzo-Fernández) from [Benfica](/soccer/team?id=1929) after meeting the midfielder's €121 million (£106.8m) release clause, the Portuguese side announced on Tuesday. [previous Premier League record fee of £100m](/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4443484/manchester-city-sign-jack-grealish-from-aston-villa-for-british-record-fee) that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish when he joined from Aston Villa in 2021.

The deal breaks the previous British transfer record fee of £100m, paid by Manchester City to Aston Villa for England star Jack Grealish in August 2021.

The deal breaks the previous record of £100m, paid by Manchester City to Aston Villa for England star Jack Grealish in August 2021. The deal breaks the previous British transfer record fee of £100m, paid by Manchester City to Aston Villa for England star Jack Grealish in August 2021. This is the biggest deal in the history of British football - and Chelsea have spent more money on transfers than all the other clubs in the major European leagues put together: Germany, Spain, Italy and France.

Chelsea and Benfica have reached a deal over the transfer of rising superstar midfielder Enzo Fernandez, according CBS soccer insider Fabrizio Romano.

They are currently in 10th in the Premier League with an 8-5-7 record, 10 points out of the top four. This season, the Blues are through to the round of 16 in the Champions League, where they will face Dortmund. Fernandez won the FIFA World Cup Young Player Award in Qatar after helping solidify the champions' midfield, putting together brilliant performance after brilliant performance on the biggest of stages.

Chelsea have reached an agreement in principle with Benfica for Enzo Fernandez. The Premier League club are still hoping to sign the World Cup winner in ...

[Argentina](https://theathletic.com/football/team/argentina/) won the World Cup in Qatar last month. [Premier League](https://theathletic.com/football/premier-league/) club are still hoping to sign the [World Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/world-cup/) winner in this window. [Chelsea](https://theathletic.com/football/team/chelsea/) have reached an agreement in principle with Benfica for [Enzo Fernandez](https://theathletic.com/football/player/enzo-fernandez-mA2LkzPdMOcVkFoZ/).

Enzo Fernandez has the skill set and temperament to be a transformative force in the Chelsea midfield. We analyse his strengths.

However, Chelsea are investing in a young talented midfielder with European, Champions League and international experience, and those players don’t come cheap. Without the ball, Fernandez is a strong front-foot defender and this suits Potter’s liking of a high press, which demands the central midfielders track their direct opponent. So, is he worth the money? How he adapts to the faster, more physically demanding Premier League will also be something to keep an eye on. This is reflected in his tinkering, having made 61 changes to starting XIs in his 14 Premier League games, an average of 4.4 each match — the most of any manager or head coach since he moved to Chelsea. Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher is the opposite of the Italian and Graham Potter has turned to 18-year-old academy graduate Lewis Hall as a left-footed central midfielder. While not his key attribute, Fernandez has shown attacking creativity for Benfica this season with five assists — from an expected assists tally of 3.7 — in the league. A fully fit Put simply, Fernandez has often been the metronome for Benfica, sitting as a left-sided defensive midfielder in a predominant 4-3-2-1 structure. Crucially, Fernandez is comfortable in a possession-dominant side, with Benfica’s 66 per cent possession being comfortably higher than any other team in Portugal. He has been a near ever-present for a Benfica side currently sitting seven points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga. A record British transfer spend of €121million (£106million).

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on an eight-and-a-half year contract worth £106.8 million.

Their spending has now reached £322m this window with Fernandez becoming the eighth signing. Fernandez scored for Argentina in their crucial group stage win against Mexico. Transfers

The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago.

Large fines or points deductions can be dished out as punishment to clubs which don't adhere to the rules. Following the arrival of Fernandez, Chelsea spent £323.3m in January. Fernandez has already taken responsibility without the ball at Benfica, slotting into an anchorman role regularly as required. [Jorginho, who joined Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/12799982/jorginho-arsenal-sign-midfielder-from-chelsea-in-deal-worth-12m-on-deadline-day) in a £12m deal. "Should Chelsea want to play with a midfield two, he would offer a better option there too. "Fernandez's attributes make it clear how he can help.

The story of Enzo Fernandez's incredible rise from the Argentine league to World Cup glory and a £107m move to Chelsea.

"[A fee of] £60-70m to Liverpool or Chelsea in June was what we imagined, so the rush and outlay from Chelsea is surprising. If you have that sort of money why not go for it?" "Enzo Fernandez did not even start in Argentina's starting XI at the World Cup," European football journalist James Horncastle told the Euro Leagues podcast. That's not to say he isn't a fantastic talent, but to consider paying over 120m euros is still just utterly bonkers." Enzo is more of a number eight, box-to-box. [River Plate in English](https://twitter.com/CARP_English)Twitter account, said: "For River Plate he was class. He netted again in the second leg - and has never looked back. "We were always confident of a £12m+ cut. His form was a huge reason they won the 2021 league title. The answer: Seven months later to Chelsea for more than 10 times that amount and as a World Cup winner and also the Premier League's most expensive signing. "He really has the complete skillset. His first start for his country did not come until Argentina's final World Cup group game but he started every game after that.

Born in San Martin on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in January 2001, Enzo Fernandez joined River Plate aged just five, having stood out playing for his ...

Fernandez scored 10 goals and registered six assists in 26 appearances for River in league and cup, cementing himself as the box-to-box midfielder he had always aspired to be. He had his third winners’ medal in the same calendar year. Fernandez and the Hawks’ star burned brightest in the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League. As his fitness and flexibility improved, so did his recovery skills in the middle of the park, suiting Defensa y Justicia’s pressing style. Always a central midfielder, Fernandez progressed through River’s fabled academy system and was called up to the reserve squad early in 2019. Born in San Martin on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in January 2001, Enzo Fernandez joined River Plate aged just five, having stood out playing for his local team Club La Recova.

Chelsea have confirmed the capture of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British record fee of £106.8 million.

Fernandez scored for Argentina in their crucial group stage win against Mexico. Fernandez's arrival follows the departure of Jorginho, who sealed a Transfers

Why have Chelsea broken the British transfer record by signing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for more than £105m?; the Argentine deep-lying playmaker has ...

He has been one of the league's top tacklers, and only 10 players across the division have won the ball back more in the middle third despite his considerable output further up the pitch. Fernandez has already taken responsibility without the ball at Benfica, slotting into an anchorman role regularly as required. Chelsea's January-long pursuit of Enzo Fernandez has ended with a fee which breaks the British transfer record. The Blues have, among other issues, a major goalscoring problem. The comparison was made by Fernandez's old youth coach Gabriel Rodriguez. The backdrop of Todd Boehly's seemingly endless month of spending does add some context.