Chelsea make new €100m swap bid for Enzo Fernandez: The details

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 29 Jan 2023 17:42 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea have made a new €100 million-plus part-exchange offer for Enzo Fernandez.

That is according to respected Argentine journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, who reports that Chelsea have offered Benfica €100m in cash plus a disposable player of their choosing.

It is not stated which players Chelsea consider disposable, but it is suspected that the likes of Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are among them.

READ MORE: January 2022-23 done deals

Benfica continue to hold firm on their original decision that Enzo’s €120m release clause is paid in full but it remains to be seen if Chelsea can force their hand before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Chelsea are desperate to sign a top central midfielder before the end of the month as they attempt to rescue what has been a disastrous season on the pitch so far. They have also placed a bid for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, as have Arsenal.

Chelsea move for Enzo Fernandez

Fernandez was one of the best midfielders at the 2022 World Cup, playing a key role as Argentina won the trophy.

The 21-year-old broke into the Argentina starting XI during the group stages after scoring a brilliant goal against Mexico.

He went on to be named Young Player of the Tournament, winning plaudits the world over.

His performances have led to interest from a host of top clubs around Europe.

Premier League giants Man Utd, Liverpool and Newcastle were interested, while Real Madrid were also watching him closely.

However, it is Chelsea who are the one club looking to close a deal this month.

Fernandez joined Benfica for €18m and has already proved to be a bargain.

He scored four goals and provided six assists this season for a Benfica team who are top of the Portuguese league. They also topped their Champions League group above PSG, winning home and away versus Juventus.