Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea in talks with Benfica over Argentina midfielder

Fernandez, 21, won the grant for young subordinate of the tourney during the World Cup

Chelsea are continuing talks with Benfica astir signing Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

If Chelsea agreed to that magnitude it would eclipse the existing grounds interest of £98m paid for Romelu Lukaku and adhd to the grounds full of astir £270m spent by the caller ownership past summer.

Discussions are ongoing astir the size of the interest and operation of the deal.

Chelsea's involvement successful Fernandez continues a caller argumentation of buying young players with the anticipation their worth volition beryllium maintained implicit the people of agelong contracts.

Under caller president Todd Boehly, the nine bought Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, 19, for £20m successful the summertime and past period agreed a pre-contract statement with 20-year-old Molde FK guardant David Datro Fofana.

But paying much than £100m for the erstwhile River Plate subordinate would beryllium a immense outlay for Boehly, who is inactive progressive successful negotiations but has been helped by caller method manager Christopher Vivell.

The determination for Fernandez is being made with the contracts of 31-year-old midfielders Jorginho and N'Golo Kante coming to an extremity this season.

Kante has lone made 2 appearances this play due to the fact that of wounded but portion it is believed the France midfielder has a bully accidental of earning a caller deal, the aboriginal of Italy's Jorginho is little clear.

Chelsea are eighth successful the Premier League, 7 points extracurricular the Champions League places and with 1 triumph successful their past 5 games successful each competitions, portion they are winless successful their past 5 Premier League distant matches.

Analysis - 'The implicit accomplishment set, but a spot rash'

Zach Lowy, Portuguese shot podcaster and co-creator of 'Breaking the Lines'

It's hard to overestimate conscionable however bully helium Fernandez has been for Benfica. He didn't person immoderate interruption whatsoever this summertime aft arriving from Argentina and was rapidly ushered into the starting line-up nether the caller manager Roger Schmidt.

The archetypal clip I saw Fernandez was Benfica's league opener against Arouca, erstwhile helium scored conscionable earlier half-time. I retrieve a feeling I seldom get erstwhile I ticker players for the archetypal clip - that the crippled comes truthful people to him.

He truly has the implicit accomplishment set. He's been playing successful the treble pivot with Florentino Luis, who has much of a antiaircraft illustration and helium has that premix of a deep-lying playmaker and a box-to-box midfielder.

The 1 flaw helium has is being a spot rash successful his tackles; helium tin get himself booked aboriginal connected truthful helium mightiness request to set that, but his biggest skillset is conscionable however implicit helium is.

Benfica fans recognise that their nine cannot spend to support players of Fernandez's endowment for a agelong play of time. The crushed they bought Darwin Nunez was due to the fact that they knew they would merchantability him and it's the aforesaid with Fernandez.

So Benfica are resigned to the information they volition suffer these players but they besides cognize their nine volition request apical dollar. Nunez being sold allowed them to amended the squad successful the summertime and it's a changeless rhythm that Benfica fans are resigned to.

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