Chelsea have suffered a blow in their hopes of signing Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez after their attempts to structure a bid over instalments was rejected by the Portuguese giants.
Reports had indicated the Blues were 'very close' to completing a deal for Fernandez with the West London club willing to break the Premier League transfer record to land the midfielder in a deal that would be worth £112million.
The fee, which was £6million higher than Fernandez's release clause, would have been paid across three instalments in equal measures. Such a technique would have allowed the Blues to record the fee across separate financial years.
However, Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol has now claimed that the Lisbon-based club have rejected Chelsea ’s attempts to restructure the deal and they are intent on holding out for the player’s full release clause in a one-off payment.
There are more meetings scheduled between the two clubs but it appears likely that the Blues will have to at least significantly increase the initial payment to Benfica if their attempts to sign the midfielder are to be successful.
Fernandez caught the eye in Qatar, where he scored a brilliant goal in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Mexico during the group stage. The midfielder only won his first international cap in September and his introduction into the starting line-up from the third group game onwards transformed Lionel Scaloni’s side.
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The 21-year-old was included in the starting XI for each subsequent match for Argentina in the tournament including the dramatic final victory over France and he was named as the Young Player of the Tournament in testament to his fine displays.
He has been the subject of attention from a host of leading Premier League clubs. Reports suggested Liverpool had reached a ‘pre-contract agreement’ with the player, before it was claimed that Manchester United had overtaken Jurgen Klopp’s side in the race.
Fernandez primarily plays at the base of a three-man midfield for Argentina, while has has also featured in Benfica’s 4-2-3-1 formation. He is known more for his technique and range of passing rather than tackling ability, with his positional sense and tactical awareness highly-rated.
Fernandez only joined the Portuguese giants this summer for a €10million (£8.9million) fee plus €8m (£7.1m) in add-ons from Argentine giants River Plate. He made his senior club debut in 2020 and was brought into the international set-up for the first time in September.
