Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea signal midfielder in £106.8m British-record switch deal from Benfica

Chelsea have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record £106.8m.

The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester Metropolis paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months in the past.

The 22-year-old, who solely joined Benfica final summer season for round £10m, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge to maintain him on the membership till the summer season of 2031.

• Enzo Fernandez – Benfica to Chelsea, January 2023 – £106.8m
• Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Manchester Metropolis, summer season 2021 – £100m
• Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea, summer season 2021 – £97.5m
• Romelu Lukaku – Everton to Manchester United, summer season 2017 – £90m
• Paul Pogba – Juventus to Manchester United, summer season 2016 – £89m
• Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, January 2022 – £88.5m

Chelsea had been in talks to signal the World Cup winner all through January, however Benfica had refused to do enterprise until the Blues paid his €120m launch clause.

However Chelsea agreed a deal of €121m at 9.15pm on Deadline Day after 12 hours of talks led by Chelsea’s co-owner Behdad Eghbali from London.

The Blues can pay a primary instalment of £30m with the remainder of the charge paid in 5 additional instalments.

Fernandez was ignored of Benfica’s squad for his or her recreation towards Arouca on Tuesday night time, with the 22-year-old present process a medical in Portugal forward of his change to Stamford Bridge.

In response to Portuguese broadcaster SIC, Fernandez will fly to the UK on Wednesday morning, with a personal jet scheduled to go away Lisbon airport at 10.20am.

Fernandez will assist to exchange Jorginho, who joined Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.

Sky Sports activities’ Ron Walker:

“Fernandez’s attributes make it clear how he will help. Nonetheless solely midway by means of his first season with Benfica, he has racked up the second-most assists within the Primeira Liga, and created 30 possibilities for his team-mates – a few of them notably eye-catching, and a shocking pinpoint set-up for Goncalo Ramos towards Sporting earlier this month maybe the decide of the bunch.

“It’s that type of playmaking potential which had Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid fascinated with bringing him in from boyhood facet River Plate final summer season earlier than he settled on a transfer to Lisbon.

“Nobody within the Portuguese high flight has made extra passes than the Argentine, and if he does show to exchange Jorginho at Stamford Bridge, he may even present one thing additional within the remaining third the place he tops the charts for passes too.

“Ought to Chelsea wish to play with a midfield two, he would supply a greater possibility there too. Fernandez has already taken duty with out the ball at Benfica, slotting into an anchorman position recurrently as required. He has been one of many league’s high tacklers, and solely 10 gamers throughout the division have received the ball again extra within the center third regardless of his appreciable output additional up the pitch.”

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How a lot did Chelsea spend in January?

Following the arrival of Fernandez, Chelsea spent £323.3m in January. Listed below are the offers the Blues made:

• Benoit Badiashile – Monaco, £35m
• David Datro Fofana – Molde, undisclosed (reported £10m deal)
• Andrey Santos – Vasco da Gama, undisclosed (reported £18m deal)
• Joao Felix – Atletico Madrid, £9.7m mortgage
• Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk, £88.5m
• Noni Madueke – PSV Eindhoven, £29m
• Malo Gusto – Lyon, £26.3m
• Enzo Fernandez – Benfica, £106.8m

Chelsea have splashed over £323m on this January switch window after finishing a British report deal for Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez – so how are they capable of spend such large sums and keep inside Monetary Honest Play guidelines?

The UEFA FFP laws are designed to restrict extreme spending and there are additionally Premier League guidelines which put a cap on the losses a membership can endure over a three-year interval. Giant fines or factors deductions will be dished out as punishment to golf equipment which do not adhere to the foundations.

However with the Blues agreeing a £106.8m switch for Fernandez, new Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly could have overseen a spend £600m for the reason that takeover in Might 2022 – they usually seem to have stayed inside the pointers.

Soccer finance professional Kieran Maguire spoke to Sky Sports activities Information to clarify.