Marc Cucurella believes Chelsea possess a "great midfielder" in January signing Enzo Fernandez – but admits he did not know who the Argentine was prior to his impressive performances at the World Cup.
Fernandez arrived at Stamford Bridge from Benfica on deadline day of the winter transfer window. A club and Premier League-record fee of £106.7million was required to land the 22-year-old, who became an integral part of the Argentina side that clinched the World Cup trophy in Qatar.
There has been no period of adaptation needed for Fernandez at Chelsea. He has started every game since his January switch and produced a number of imposing displays. The midfielder's scooped assist for Kai Havertz's goal against Leicester City is his standout moment thus far.
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Fernandez, who is currently on international duty with Argentina, is understood to have quickly settled into life in England and has impressed both club staff and his fellow teammates, as Cucurella highlighted in an interview with South American edition of ESPN’s Sports Center.
“He is very young, but he is very talented with the ball and he is intelligent," Cucurella, who joined Chelsea from Brighton last summer, explained. "He is still adapting but he has already played some good games. We have a great midfielder.”
Fernandez was not a guaranteed starter for Argentina prior to the World Cup. It was only after he was brought into the side against Mexico and shone that his place alongside the likes of Alexis Mac Allister – who has been linked with a move to Chelsea – and Lionel Messi was secured.
“I liked to watch matches in which my friends were playing, so I was watching Argentina because of Alexis,” recalled Cucurella. “I think I said, ‘I really like number 24, he’s very good!’ But I didn’t even know where he played – I had to go and search on my phone!
“As I watched more games, I told my family and friends that I really liked him a lot. And then he came to Chelsea. I told Enzo that I had liked him at the World Cup. He is a good guy – but I'm waiting for him to cook me a barbecue!"
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