Chelsea have reopened negotiations to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the close of the transfer deadline - but any deal will see them pay more than his £106million release clause at the Lisbon club.
Previous 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 £112m.
The fee, which was £6m 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 that formula did not proceed.
The Premier League club record transfer – currently the £100m paid by Manchester City to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021 – will be broken should the move for the Argentina international be finalised by Chelsea, who will have to at least meet the player’s clause.
It has since been reported that Benfica were not willing to countenance Chelsea’s idea of paying for Fernandez in instalments with a fresh report in Portuguese outlet Record claiming that the Portuguese league leaders were attempting to raise the player’s release clause to £132m in a new contract to secure a larger fee.
Even if that agreement is not found, Argentine outlet Tyc Sports claim that should Chelsea trigger the player’s current release clause – the only conditions which they appear to be able to secure Fernandez – would mean that they will also be obliged taxes in addition to the fee.
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This additional taxes could be worth up to £35m, which would take the deal in excess of £140m – and may help explain why the Blues have previously been reluctant to agree to the demands of Benfica. However, with just two days of the transfer window remaining – their hand may be forced.
When the club’s boss Roger Schmidt was recently asked if he thought the player would stay in Lisbon, he replied: “Yes. When you see Enzo playing for Benfica you see a very happy player, in great shape.
“He’s not thinking about anything else. I’m not expecting to lose any of our regulars, and that’s why I see very focused players and I hope this stays that way.”
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.
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 (£8.9m) 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.
