Chelsea won’t give up on signing Liverpool target Enzo Fernández, says Fabrizio Romano. The midfielder has been a target all winter.
It seems Chelsea remain desperate to sign Enzo Fernández. Fabrizio Romano says they’re taking this one to the wire – and it’s a been a ‘mad’ story.
“Discussions are still ongoing between Chelsea & Benfica for Enzo Fernández,” he wrote on Twitter this afternoon. “The deal has NOT collapsed, as things stand.
“Chelsea are still trying. One to follow in the next hours.”
Romano then followed that up with another Tweet.
“Chelsea, insisting and trying until the end of Deadline Day,” he wrote. “Mad story, mad negotiation. But… still on, as things stand.”
That goes along with a report from the Athletic claiming that this one really could go through today. Not that it will be cheap – Benfica still want Enzo’s £105m release clause.
Enzo Fernández and Liverpool
Romano is right to say this one has been mad. UOL in Brazil were one outlet claiming Liverpool liked the player, while Record mentioned they were targeting the Argentine, too.
And those were reports from before the World Cup. We actually wrote that Reds should watch Argentina’s opener because Enzo could soon become a big target. No one saw this end result, though.
In fact, those reports mentioned Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City. Notably, not Chelsea. Enzo’s performances at the World Cup caused his reputation to skyrocket, however, with Lionel Messi calling him ‘spectacular’. Now we’re here. In a position where the Blues may break a transfer record to sign him.
More recently, Marca and O Jogo both claimed Liverpool wanted Enzo. Fabrizio Romano weighed in of late, too, claiming that the only reason they didn’t pursue the player this month was because of an ‘obsession’ with Jude Bellingham.
His price is now at a point where Liverpool were never going to sign him. Chelsea’s pursuit has been bizarre, in fact, as they initially told Benfica they’d pay his release clause earlier this month before changing their mind and trying to negotiate, per Record.
Benfica boss Roger Schmidt called it ‘disrespectful’ but it appears the two clubs have found an agreement. It’ll be a blow to Liverpool, too.
They may want Bellingham but Enzo was a fantastic alternative in case that one went south. It seems he’s off to Chelsea, though, and that piles even more pressure on Liverpool to get the Bellingham deal done.