Chelsea face an anxious race against time to complete the £105million singing of Benfica star Enzo Fernandez. The World Cup winner has been strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Todd Boehly continues his overhaul of Graham Potter's playing squad.
Fernandez had been identified as the club's primary target this month and football.london understands that the Blues have held extensive talks with Benfica over the course of the past few days. A bid in the region of the £105m release clause in his contract has been submitted by the west Londoners but there remains the ongoing issue over the structure of the deal.
Chelsea have proposed to pay the fee over a spread of instalments rather than paying the fee in full, which Benfica prefer. The player himself has reiterated his desire to join Potter's squad and has been omitted from Benfica's squad for their league game at Arouca tonight.
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football.london's Chelsea correspondent Adam Newson has provided a brief update on where the deal currently stands. He said: "Chelsea are still waiting for Benfica to make a definitive decision over the future of Enzo Fernandez. The Blues made an official bid yesterday but the structure of the deal remains the key element.
"Benfica president Rui Costa is believed to be the key figure in negotiations and whatever he decides will be the club's final decision."
Whilst there remains confidence that an agreement will be reached, Chelsea are faced with a tight deadline in concluding a deal. The winter window slams shut at 11pm this evening, but with Benfica in action at 9:15pm, talks may need to be accelerated to avoid any delay.
But, there is an opportunity for Chelsea to complete the deal past tonight's deadline courtesy of the 'extra time' granted for transfers should the deal sheet be supplied. A deal sheet allows clubs to prove a deal has been agreed between both parties and has to be submitted between 9pm-11pm UK time.
Once submitted to the relevant governing bodies, all the correct documentation must be fully completed and a decision will be made regarding the future of the player. The extension allows the finer details to be ironed out up until 1am.
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