New Chelsea signing Enzo Fernandez may have to wear two different shirt numbers this campaign after joining the club from Benfica.
The Argentina international completed a £107million switch to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day after protracted negotiations between the Blues and Benfica. The deal is a Premier League transfer record, eclipsing the £100million Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in 2021.
It fittingly concluded a manic transfer window at the west London club with eight first-team squad arrivals as Mykhaylo Mudryk arrived in a deal worth up to £87m from Shakhtar Donetsk and the club spent a further £100m+ to sign players including Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke.
Notably, the Blues saw just one major outgoing from their squad as midfielder Jorginho joined Arsenal in a deal worth in the region of £12million. The Italy international had just five months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
The exit of Jorginho left the no. 5 shirt vacated at the club and this is set to be filled by the arrival of Fernandez. This would be fitting as the Argentine star – who won the Young Player of the World Cup as his nation lifted the trophy in December – is essentially replacing Jorginho in Graham Potter’s squad.
However, this may prove problematic for matches played in the Champions League. It has been suggested that UEFA rules prohibit two different players from wearing the same shirt number at the same club in one season – with Jorginho donning the no. 5 in the Champions League group stages for Chelsea.
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This is likely to be clarified when Chelsea submit their Champions League squad for the knockout stages, as they are allowed to register up to three new signings to their squad and allocate spaces accordingly following their January transfer changes. Fernandez playing for Benfica earlier in the tournament will not prevent him from representing the Blues, as per competition rules.
Fernandez caught the eye in Qatar, where he scored a brilliant goal in Argentina's 2-0 win over Mexico during the group stage. The midfielder only won his first international cap in September and his introduction into the starting line-up from the third group game onwards transformed Lionel Scaloni’s side.
The 21-year-old was included in the starting XI for each subsequent match for Argentina in the tournament including the dramatic final victory over France and he was named as the Young Player of the Tournament in testament to his fine displays.
He has been the subject of attention from a host of leading Premier League clubs. Reports suggested Liverpool had reached a 'pre-contract agreement' with the player before it was claimed that Manchester United had overtaken Jurgen Klopp’s side in the race.
Fernandez primarily plays at the base of a three-man midfield for Argentina, while he has also featured in Benfica's 4-2-3-1 formation. He is known more for his technique and range of passing rather than his tackling ability, with his positional sense and tactical awareness highly rated.
Fernandez only joined the Portuguese giants this summer for a €10million (£8.9m) fee plus €8m (£7.1m) in add-ons from Argentine giants River Plate.
He made his senior club debut in 2020 and was brought into the international set-up for the first time in September.
