CHELSEA are reportedly set to sign Benfica star Enzo Fernandez for a Premier League record fee.
The midfielder impressed at the World Cup, picking up the Young Player of the Tournament award after his Argentina side beat France in the final.
And now Chelsea are set to finalise his transfer for a fee of £112million, according to The Mirror’s Colin Millar.
That is £6m more than Fernandez’s release clause of £106m.
But the Blues are happy to pay a little extra as it allows them to pay for the 21-year-old in installments.
It means Benfica will rake in a massive profit on Fernandez, having signed him for just £8m from River Plate last summer.
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Despite that, the Portuguese side attempted to persuade Fernandez to stay until the end of the season, pointing out the fact Chelsea may not qualify for the Champions League.
But the midfielder is believed to have rejected their pleas and then infuriated manager Roger Schmidt by flying back to Argentina for a New Year’s Eve party.
Now Fernandez needs to agree personal terms and complete a medical before being finalised as a Chelsea player.
He could become Chelsea’s fourth January signing following the capture of David Dafro Fofana and the imminent arrivals of Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile.
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And the club looks set to continue their spending with other midfielder targets in mind.
Argentina team-mate Alexis Mac Allister is on Chelsea’s wishlist along with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who they targeted in the summer window.
Those potential arrivals could lead to this being Jorginho’s final season at Stamford Bridge.
The Italy international is out of contract in 2023 and wants to return to Serie A.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
