SOCCER
Chelsea submit huge offer for Benfica’s Enzo Fernández
Chelsea “love” Argentina’s World Cup winning-midfielder Enzo Fernández of Benfica but “won’t be held to ransom” by the Portuguese club.
Premier League side Chelsea have moved to the front of the queue to sign Benfica’s World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernández, according to CBS Sports. The Argentinian had already been on the radar of a host of top clubs before the tournament and his impressive performances in Qatar have prompted to the Londoners to make a huge offer to snatch Fernández away from the grasp of a series of other interested parties.
Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Fernández, who was voted the best young player at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but the Blues have made an attempt to steal a march on their competitors with the bid which has seemingly caught Benfica off-guard.
Benfica recently stated that the player wouldn’t leave the club unless his €127 million release clause was met. Given that the Lisbon outfit signed Fernández for less than a tenth of that price just six months ago, it was assumed that would be enough to put off any prospective buyers for the time being but Chelsea have made a big move to get one of world soccer’s brightest talents in January. Their bid, however, falls short of activating the release clause, with the Portuguese understood to be considering the offer and tempted to force the Premier League side to match the stipulated amount.
Chelsea “won’t be held to ransom”
However, David Ornstein of The Athletic, speaking to NBC Soccer, says that “Chelsea love Enzo Fernández but they won’t be held to ransom and will only pay what they’re comfortable with. If they get the right value in this market, they’ll do it. But they do have other options.”
Argentina’s upturn in fortune in the tournament in Qatar coincided with Fernández’s introduction into the starting line-up. The midfielder had only won three caps going into the World Cup and started the first two games - including the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia - on the bench but played a key role in La Albiceleste’s triumph with his all-action performances.
Chelsea agree a fee for Benoit Badiashile of Monaco
New Year’s Day has been a busy one for Chelsea as not only as they are in action against Nottingham Forest, they have also agreed a fee for Monaco defender Benoit Badiashile for a reported fee of £33 million, according to The Athletic. The Frenchman was left out of his club’s Ligue 1 clash against Brest with negotiations at an advanced stage.