Chelsea have reopened negotiations to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez before the close of the transfer deadline - but any deal will see them pay more than his £106million release clause at the Lisbon club.
Previous reports had indicated the Blues were 'very close' to completing a deal for Fernandez with the West London club willing to break the Premier League transfer record to land the midfielder in a deal that would be worth £112m.
The fee, which was £6m higher than Fernandez's release clause, would have been paid across three instalments in equal measures. Such a technique would have allowed the Blues to record the fee across separate financial years however that formula did not proceed.
