CHELSEA have made a £105million offer for Benfica star Enzo Fernandez, according to reports.
If the bid is accepted it would smash the British record for the most spent on a transfer.
The Blues are confident a deal can be done, claim The Telegraph.
Manager Graham Potter has supposedly given the club his full backing as they push hard to sign the 22-year-old.
Chelsea attempted to bring in the player earlier this month, but the transfer was turned down by Benfica as the bids worth £60m and £88m were deemed not enough.
Fernandez supposedly has a release clause worth £105m, which Chelsea are ready to meet.
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However, they would like to stagger payments with a large up-front sum to begin, then five smaller money transfers heading to Portugal later.
This has reportedly left room for negotiation between the two clubs.
Fernandez wants to go to Chelsea so personal terms are not thought to be an issue so late in the window, although he does need permission from Benfica president Rui Costa to leave.
The Argentinian star impressed at the World Cup in Qatar and won the young player of the tournament award, which alerted Chelsea to him.
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If the move goes through, it would top the £100m fee Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish in the summer of 2021.
It would also eclipse Chelsea’s transfer record, beating the £97.5million spent on Romelu Lukaku.
Fernandez would become their EIGHTH signing of the January transfer window, following the arrivals of big money signings such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Benoit Badiashile.
Since Todd Boehly took over as owner, the club have spent £450m and Fernandez would take spending well past the half a billion mark.
The club could be set to recoup some funds as Everton have reportedly bid £45m for Conor Gallagher.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
