According to report from Benfica manager Roger Schmidt who has confirmed to reporters that Enzo Fernandez will not be signing for Chelsea this January, with Liverpool also interested in the midfielder.
Speaking to the press via O Jogo, the German coach revealed that the Argentine’s future is a closed matter before saying that Fernandez is a Benfica player. Schmidt said: “This subject is over. He’s one of our players. He’s happy, training well, he’s part of the team. Everything has been said.”
As reported by the Evening Standard, Chelsea thought they were on the verge of agreeing a £112m British record transfer for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. However, the structure of the deal, which would allow the Blues to get around FFP rules, did not appeal to Benfica.
Now, a deal to bring Fernandez to Chelsea looks totally off, with Schmidt’s latest comments seemingly confirming that a transfer for the 21-year-old to west London has collapsed, much to Liverpool’s enjoyment, who according to Bola Na Rede are also chasing the midfielder.
With one transfer already confirmed this window in Cody Gakpo, Jurgen Klopp could now be free to add secure another incredible coup for Liverpool in the form of Fernandez, with the Reds more likely to meet Benfica’s demands for the midfielder.
Indeed, Chelsea missing out on Fernandez will be a massive relief for many interested Premier League clubs. Yet with Liverpool’s midfield situation as bare as it currently is, the Anfield side could soon launch an audacious bid of their own to sign the World Cup champion in January.
The January transfer window has just turned ten-days-old, yet for Chelsea fans, it would have felt like an eternity given how much news and drama has surrounded the entire market for their club. And this latest update is just the latest piece of drama the Blues didn’t want to hear, though for Liverpool, Schmidt’s comments are music to their ears.
After all, Liverpool are in dire need of a new quality midfielder this month. And whilst Fernandez will be an expensive transfer, Chelsea getting dropped out of the race is exactly what Klopp needed to stand with any chance of bringing the midfielder to Merseyside in the coming weeks.
