Real Madrid have sensationally denied holding talks with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández over a summer transfer, going as far as to publicly insist they have “no intention” of pursuing the Argentina international.
Fernández is believed to be keen to join Madrid, having openly talked up his interest in making the move, while his agent threw the latest batch of fuel on the fire by admitting they are looking at leaving Chelsea this summer.
Rather than ignore the messages, Madrid made the surprise decision to dismiss the story as nothing more than speculation, adding the extra detail that there are no plans to try and land Fernández’s signature this summer.
“In light of the reports and statements that have appeared in recent days regarding an alleged interest from Real Madrid CF in the player Enzo Fernández, the club wishes to state that it has not made any effort, either direct or indirect, to sign the aforementioned player and, likewise, has no intention of undertaking such an operation,” the club said in a statement.
“Real Madrid wishes to express its utmost respect for Enzo Fernández, a great footballer whose career and quality are widely known, as well as for Chelsea FC, a club with which it maintains an excellent institutional relationship.
“Precisely because of the respect that an entity like Chelsea FC deserves and because of the principles of institutional loyalty that have always governed the actions of Real Madrid, the club considers it necessary to categorically deny speculations that are unfounded and do not correspond to reality.
“Real Madrid regrets that, despite the clarity of the facts and the lack of any action on the part of the club, information continues to be disseminated that does not correspond to reality and that only contributes to generating confusion among fans and unnecessarily harming the entities and people involved.”
Where Does Enzo Fernández Go From Here?
Madrid’s statement puts Fernández in an awkward position. While he has not said anything to irreparably damage his relationship with Chelsea, his obvious flirting and his failure to challenge his agent’s public comments have caused plenty of problems.
It seemed like the only way out would be a move to Madrid, but things have now changed. If Los Blancos are not going to sign Fernández, something else needs to happen. What that something is, however, is a mystery.
If Fernández feels strongly about leaving Chelsea, the options available to him are limited. A reunion with Enzo Maresca at Manchester City is one of very few options that makes any sort of sense, but their record-breaking acquisition of Elliot Anderson suggests a move for Fernández—one that would be even more expensive—is unlikely.
Fernández’s asking price is understood to stand at $160 million (£120 million), meaning only a select few clubs can even afford to pursue a player who is still under contract with Chelsea for another six years.
Chelsea, for their part, have spent the past few weeks insisting they would be just as happy to keep Fernández. Whether decision-makers share the same sentiment behind the scenes is a different matter.
Fernández, Chelsea’s vice-captain under Maresca, would also need to work on his relationship with the fans, many of whom have turned on the Argentine because of his recent antics.
What the Future Holds for Real Madrid
Real Madrid do want a new tempo-setting midfielder. While some of the biggest names are already off the table this summer, Fernández is far from the only player under consideration.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this statement is the contract with Madrid’s recent post about Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, in which Los Blancos also denied talks over a deal had been held.
While Madrid stressed they had no interest in pursuing Fernández, that message was nowhere to be seen when discussing Olise, who is still believed to sit right at the top of the wish list of club president Florentino Pérez.
Madrid have vowed not to operate behind Bayern Munich’s back when it comes to Olise. If they do try to get a deal done, the La Liga giants have promised to speak with their German counterparts first, which is expected to be the hardest part of any potential negotiations.
Bayern have gone public with their insistence that Olise is not for sale and any transfer would likely be worth close to the record fee—Neymar’s €222 million ($253.6 million by the current exchange rate) switch to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017—perhaps even needing to break that record.
