From Chelsea to Man Utd: the status of every club's interest in Enzo Fernandez

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 3 min read

Chelsea are reportedly closing in on a deal for Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, but they're not the only club trying to sign the Argentina World Cup winner…

Fernandez only joined Benfica from River Plate in July, the Portuguese giants paying just €12 million for a midfielder is now rated at €27.7m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm and has a release clause of 10 times his recent fee.

Fernandez caught the eye of the wider footballing world in Qatar, playing in all seven games - five of them starts - as Argentina lifted the World Cup for the first time since their Diego Maradona-inspired triumph in 1986.

READ: How Chelsea will line up with Enzo Fernandez

A midfield metronome who also scored and assisted at the World Cup, Fernandez is in high demand, with Manchester United and Liverpool having scouted him in recent months. However, Chelsea might be confident of beating them to the 21-year-old.

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) December 4, 2022

"Man United are not expected to invest €120m on a midfielder in January," transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column.

"Liverpool appreciate Enzo Fernandez but never triggered the clause or made any bid, they're absolutely quiet on Fernandez deal now."

READ: How much is Jude Bellingham’s secret clause?

Alternatives

If the Reds do spend that kind of money it would be for Jude Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old Englishman who has already led them out in the Champions League. Fiorentina's Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat would be cheaper alternative.

United only signed Casemiro from Real Madrid for €80m in August, and are expected to prioritise a striker in the January transfer window.

Real, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle have also been credited with an interest in Fernandez, but the former are also favourites to sign Bellingham ahead of Liverpool, while PSG and Newcastle might not have the same cachet as Chelsea, despite their formidable budgets.