Chelsea have a HUGE Enzo Fernandez problem

21 Oct 2024 15:00 BST
4 min read

Enzo Fernandez remains the most expensive player in Premier League history, but he faces a major challenge to keep his place in Chelsea’s preferred starting XI.

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The Argentina international moved to Stamford Bridge for a whopping €121 million in January 2023, following an immense Qatar World Cup and a string of excellent performances for Benfica.

Upon his arrival, Fernandez settled instantly and he caught the eye under both Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, despite Chelsea’s struggles at the back end of the 2022-23 campaign.

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However, the 23-year-old’s form has regressed since an encouraging first six months in west London.

Mauricio Pochettino’s frantic, end-to-end system was perfect for Conor Gallagher, but it didn’t suit Fernandez’s skillset at all and he struggled to excel next to Moises Caicedo in Chelsea’s double pivot.

Furthermore, Fernandez suffered a hernia issue in December and after playing through the injury for several months, he finally received surgery ahead of the Copa America.

Since then, Fernandez has been given the full support of new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and he has worn the captain’s armband on seven occasions so far this season.

However, his time at Chelsea is at risk of going sideways.

Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez problem

Fernandez was surprisingly benched for Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, with Maresca selecting Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as the protection behind Cole Palmer.

Despite the loss, both players excelled in midfield and while Curtis Jones stole the show at Anfield, Caicedo and Lavia looked fairly comfortable in all facets of the game for the majority of their time on the pitch.

Lavia displayed flashes of pure class at Anfield and, if Chelsea can keep him fully fit, he appears to be the perfect partner for Caicedo in the middle of the park.

Where does that leave Fernandez? Well, Maresca must find a solution, although the Argentine could be relegated to a role in Chelsea’s cup team.

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Of course, Fernandez will likely play a key role in Chelsea’s 2024-25 Premier League campaign, but he’s no longer an indispensable player.

He has never quite replicated the form he showed at Benfica during his time at Chelsea, and while Maresca’s arrival was viewed as the perfect platform for Fernandez to succeed, that hasn’t quite transpired.

For example, Lavia won six of his eight attempted duels in just 53 minutes of action at Anfield - a tally Fernandez hasn’t bettered in a single Premier League match this season, despite playing more than 75 minutes on six occasions so far this term.

The Belgian doesn’t possess Fernandez’s ability to dictate play from deep, but given the ex-Benfica man is yet to register a goal contribution and is far more susceptible to being played through on the counter-attack, Maresca has a huge selection decision to make.

For over €120m, Chelsea would’ve hoped for a world-beater. However, Fernandez now appears to have a battle for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge. That is, quite simply, a problem.

Read more about: Premier League, Chelsea, Enzo Fernandez