Chelsea have confirmed Enzo Fernandez will wear the No.5 shirt previously occupied by Jorginho.
The Argentine became the most expensive signing ever made by a British club on deadline day, joining the free-spending Blues from Benfica for £106.8m.
Fernandez was the club’s leading midfield target and replaces stalwart Jorginho, who was allowed to join rivals Arsenal in a surprise deadline day deal.
The new-look recruitment team in west London have watched the 22-year-old extensively and had little qualms in paying such a big fee for a player who has only made 17 domestic appearances in European football.
Fernandez has signed a long-term contract running until the summer of 2031, as part of Chelsea’s strategy to spread out the costs of big money transfers over an extended period.
Part of the Argentina squad who won the World Cup in Qatar, Fernandez was named the Young Player of the Tournament and joins a Chelsea side in dire need of an upturn in performances.
