Benfica have become accustomed to losing their most-prized assets to Europe's biggest clubs over the last few years with Joao Felix, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Dias all leaving for over €70million (£61.9million). And ahead of the January transfer window, Enzo Fernandez is set to be the next up-and-coming star to leave.
football.london understands that Chelsea have informed the Portuguese side they are prepared to break their transfer record - £97.5m for Romelu Lukaku 14 months ago - to secure the signing of the World Cup winner. Fernandez only joined As Águias in the summer from River Plate and has established himself as one of the world's standout wonderkids.
It's understood that Todd Boehly is willing to match the £105m release clause in the 21-year-old's contract. However, the Blues face the stumbling block of agreeing on the structure of the deal, with Chelsea keen to pay the figure in instalments rather than a one-off sum.
READ MORE: Lionel Messi's verdict on Enzo Fernandez as Chelsea make plan for record-breaking transfer
After helping Argentina to the World Cup title in Qatar, Fernandez's future is expected to be heavily discussed over the January transfer window. And while the midfielder is not actively pushing for a move to west London, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt has admitted the club are powerless in keeping the player against his will.
Speaking in his press conference ahead of tomorrow's Liga NOS trip to Braga, Schmidt was quizzed on the young midfielder's future amid strong links to Chelsea. He told Record: "Enzo? Until December 31 we are sure that we have all the players and nobody can leave.
"For now, we're on the eve of the game and I'm calm. Then the market opens up and when you have players with great talent, you always run the risk of losing players. For now, we're focused on tomorrow's game."
The German manager continued: "When I talk to the players, these are things I keep to myself. What I can say is what I've already said.
"We all know what football is like. These young people have opportunities, and it's not just about Enzo. If they have opportunities, they have to make decisions, and I respect them. I can advise them, but they only have one career. If I can convince them or influence them in a certain way, I try to do it, but I accept their decisions."
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