Chelsea are ready to pay a club-record switch charge to Benfica with the intention to convey World Cup profitable midfielder Enzo Fernandez to the English Premier League subsequent month.
Document Sport understands that a suggestion in extra of the €127million Benfica took for the 2019 sale of Joao Felix has been proposed by Chelsea's new house owners for the Argentina worldwide. Benfica – presently on the right track to win the Portuguese League for the primary time in 4 seasons and within the final 16 of the Champions League - don't wish to jeopardise these twin campaigns by promoting Fernandez mid-season.
Chelsea hope the midfielder will push the Lisbon membership for an instantaneous transfer as they search to show round a tough first season beneath Todd Boehly's management. Fernandez's performances on the Qatar World Cup and through his first half season in European soccer have been such that the 21-year-old has established himself as an alternative choice to Jude Bellingham amongst golf equipment trying to recruit in central midfield.
With Liverpool, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Actual Madrid all eager to take Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in the summertime, Benfica consider they will retain Fernandez till the top of the season and nonetheless safe a charge in extra of €80m for the participant. Signed from River Plate for an preliminary switch charge of €10m in June, Fernandez began each one in every of Benfica's Liga Portugal video games because the membership established an eight-point lead on the high of the division.
The midfielder additionally scored twice within the Champions League to assist Benfica safe a knock-out spherical tie with Membership Brugge earlier than making seven appearances throughout Argentina's profitable World Cup marketing campaign. Fernandez returned to Lisbon on Tuesday and is because of talk about Chelsea's strategy together with his present employers. Benfica – who're contracted to pay 25 per cent of the midfielder's subsequent switch charge to River Plate – are understood to be open to agreeing the phrases of a summer season sale.
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