GRAHAM POTTER told Chelsea owners that Enzo Fernandez was not worth £106million, reports say.
The Blues signed World Cup winner Fernandez for a club and Premier League record fee in January.
It followed after a heavy pursuit for the midfielder which took up almost the entirety of the winter window.
But according to The Guardian, then-Chelsea manager Potter told co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali that Fernandez was not worth the money.
Although Boehly and Eghbali did not want to lose out on the player and were willing to sign him at quite literally any cost.
Eghbali was key to talks with Benfica and Fernandez was soon a Chelsea player, finishing the season on 22 appearances.
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The Blues finally saw the back of their horror season, in which both Thomas Tuchel and Potter left the club.
Stamford Bridge legend Frank Lampard managed just ONE win after returning in the interim in place of Potter.
So Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival marks a positive for fans, who can expect a clearout in the summer.
Under Boehly and Eghbali, transfer spending soured past £600MILLION, causing a cramped squad.
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Still, it is believed a midfielder to partner Fernandez is seen as a priority over a striker.
Chelsea prepare to welcome Christopher Nkunku next season, having signed the Frenchman from RB Leipzig last summer.
But he finished the campaign with Leipzig and did so after scoring 22 times in 35 matches.
And despite being able to play all across the front line, Chelsea could look to turn Nkunku into a No9 to fix their finishing flaws.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk