Benfica head coach Roger Schmidt has admitted that Chelsea target Enzo Fernandez may have played his last game for the club.
Standard Sport understands the Blues are ready to meet the World Cup winner's £105million release clause to sign the 21-year-old in January.
Chelsea are understood to have informed Benfica of their intentions during a meeting with Benfica club president Rui Costa and super-agent Jorge Mendes, hoping to thwart interest from both Manchester United and Liverpool.
And not Schmidt accepts that Fernandez, who remains on holiday following Argentina's triumph in Qatar, may never again play for the Portuguese giants.
Schmidt said: "I don't know if that was the last match of Enzo. I think Enzo is a great player. Since he arrived at Benfica, hes played fantastic football. Also, as a person, he's completely identified with the club.
"Like I said before the match, sometimes things in football happen and then players have to make decisions. We will see what happens [in the] next weeks."
