With the clock quickly counting down in the January transfer window, the rumour mill is rife with speculation and as always, Chelsea find themselves right in the middle of all sorts of potential moves, both in and out of the club. With the likes of Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Renato Veiga all looking for an exit from Stamford Bridge in search of regular minutes, and the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Mathys Tel being heavily linked with a move to London, Chelsea’s transfer window is far from over.
One potential move that is picking up momentum as the window approaches its deadline, is the £105million man Enzo Fernández, who has been linked with a sensational move to Real Madrid.
Is the Best Yet to Come for Fernández?
Fernández arrived at Stamford Bridge following a spectacular World Cup in 2022, where he won the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament award as Argentina claimed a first World Cup in over 30 years. Suddenly, every major club was interested in the Argentinians signature as we entered the January transfer window in early 2023.
The midfielder had only been at Benfica for 6 months, following a €10million move from River Plate. However, the Portuguese club were suddenly thrust into a bidding war for their young star, and Chelsea eventually reached an agreement for the then-22-year-old.
Since then, Fernández has endured mixed levels of success at Stamford Bridge. His debut at Fulham showed plenty of promise with his passing ability and vision clearly evident. However, his form quickly dropped and Fernández has rarely shone the world class quality he did for Argentina in the World Cup. The odd flash of brilliance has been seen, and he recently enjoyed a rare purple patch in front of goal, claiming four assists and three goals in just six Premier League games. Unfortunately for Chelsea, however, this has been an anomaly when looking at his Chelsea career overall.
That being said, Fernández is still only 24 years old and clearly has the talent and ability to become a genuinely world class midfielder. He’s shown glimpses of this under Enzo Maresca, and if he can maintain his fitness and develop an even stronger partnership with Moisés Caicedo in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield, then the sky is the limit for the Argentinian.
The Bernabéu Beckons
One truth in football that has remained true for decades now is that when Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling, it is incredibly difficult for players to say no. It’s happened time and time again, even when a player is truly established within a Premier League team and playing the best football of their career, when the Spanish giants start sniffing around, many players cannot say no.
Whether this will be true of Fernández remains to be seen, and it would have to be a significant transfer value for the Blues to consider parting ways with the midfielder considering their initial investment. However, on the off-chance Chelsea could make a profit on their talisman, it may be hard for them to resist sanctioning a move.
One other consideration is that of Aurélien Tchouaméni – the French holding midfielder has been rumoured as a potential makeweight in the transfer battle. The 24-year-old is a key player at Madrid but is seen as disposable if the club were to sign Fernández. Tchouaméni could form a very potent partnership with Caicedo in the middle of the park. The Frenchman is much more combative and agile compared to Fernández, and is likely to fit in very well with the physical demands of the Premier League – something which Fernández has often struggled with.
A stunning move to Madrid does remain an unlikely possibility for Fernández for now, with time swiftly running out in the transfer window. However, both Madrid and Chelsea have a reputation for outstanding last-minute deals in transfer windows, and this is certainly one to keep an eye on over the next few days.
