Chelsea are prepared to pay a club-record transfer fee to Benfica in order to bring World Cup winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez to the English Premier League next month.
Record Sport understands that an offer in excess of the €127million Benfica took for the 2019 sale of Joao Felix has been proposed by Chelsea's new owners for the Argentina international. Benfica – currently on course to win the Portuguese League for the first time in four seasons and in the last 16 of the Champions League - do not want to jeopardise those twin campaigns by selling Fernandez mid-season.
Chelsea hope the midfielder will push the Lisbon club for an immediate move as they seek to turn around a difficult first season under Todd Boehly's leadership. Fernandez's performances at the Qatar World Cup and during his first half season in European football have been such that the 21-year-old has established himself as an alternative to Jude Bellingham amongst clubs looking to recruit in central midfield.
With Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all keen to take Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, Benfica believe they can retain Fernandez until the end of the season and still secure a fee in excess of €80m for the player. Signed from River Plate for an initial transfer fee of €10m in June, Fernandez started every one of Benfica's Liga Portugal games as the club established an eight-point lead at the top of the division.
The midfielder also scored twice in the Champions League to help Benfica secure a knock-out round tie with Club Brugge before making seven appearances during Argentina's successful World Cup campaign. Fernandez returned to Lisbon on Tuesday and is due to discuss Chelsea's approach with his current employers. Benfica – who are contracted to pay 25 per cent of the midfielder's next transfer fee to River Plate – are understood to be open to agreeing the terms of a summer sale.
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