Chelsea's pursuit of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez this January transfer window may have taken yet another turn. That's because, according to Portuguese outlet Record, the Blues have made a fresh offer for the 21-year-old of €100million (£87.8million) as well as players in the deal.
The news comes as yet another twist in the saga, with the west London outfit already engaging in talks earlier this month, but reaching a stalemate. Benfica are said to have been clear that their stance is the £105million release clause in Fernandez's contract is paid up or he won't leave.
That arrangement isn't ideal for the Chelsea owners as release clauses are triggered straight away, while other transfer deals can be negotiated to have preferential payment terms. While that's the case, Chelsea are expected to approach Benfica with another proposal for Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window closes, football.london understands.
READ MORE: Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto double transfer set to ensure record-breaking Chelsea window
The hierarchy may be forced into making such a move due to a new deadline seemingly set by the European governing body UEFA. A report from the Times claims that they have decided to crack down on contract length that can be offered to players, capping it at five-years as of the summer.
Contracts over that length were uncommon, but Chelsea have frequently offered deals over seven-years to their new young players after splashing the cash on landing them. This is because of financial rules that prevent such spending, however thanks to amortisation - the process of depreciation over the length of a player's contract - the Blues can reduce the financial impact year-on-year by offering larger deals and spreading the cost.
It may be a process that works for the long-term, but there are questions over the risk involved and as to whether the loophole is ethical rather than legal. With UEFA set to change the rules for the summer, it's clear that any big-money deals the club anticipate ma have to go through in the next week.
That means in order to secure a move for Fernandez, there's a new deadline on lock for everything to go through.
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