Chelsea sign Enzo Fernandez for Premier League record fee

By Mark White
published

Chelsea have signed Enzo Fernandez for over £100m, breaking the previous transfer record in the Premier League

New Chelsea signing Enzo Fernandez of Argentina celebrates after scoring their team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group C match between Argentina and Mexico at Lusail Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.
(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Chelsea have signed Enzo Fernandez for a record fee in the Premier League.

The Blues have chased the Benfica star all window and the deal looked like it wouldn't be done until a few days ago. The move accelerated quickly though over the last few days, with the Blues apparently keen to pay exactly what the Portuguese side were asking for.  

Fernandez only signed from River Plate over the summer for under £15m. Following a successful World Cup in which he won the tournament with Argentina and the Young Player award, he has become one of the most talked-about players in Europe.

Enzo Fernandez of Argentina poses for a photo with the FIFA Young Player award during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar.

Enzo Fernandez shot to global attention at the World Cup last year with Argentina (Image credit: Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

The Times (opens in new tab) were among the first to report that Chelsea were set to shell out an incredible £115 million for Fernandez, Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano (opens in new tab), meanwhile, claimed (opens in new tab) Chelsea wanted "the player at all costs". Benfica insisted that Fernandez was not for sale – only for the Blues to make their feelings clear. 

Chelsea's previous transfer record was around £100m, paid in the summer of 2021 to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan. 

Chelsea have been extremely busy in the transfer market since Todd Boehly acquired the club last summer and this winter has followed the hectic summer, with seven new arrivals.

Benoit Badiashile was first to join before David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos both joined. Joao Felix moved to London on loan, before the headline buy of Mykhaylo Mudryk. Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto have both signed for the two-time Champions League winners, too. 

Mykhaylo Mudryk applauds while being introduced to the fans on the pitch at half time during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on January 15, 2023 in London, England.

Chelsea have had a hectic winter with Mykhaylo Mudryk being the big news prior to Fernandez (Image credit: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Still just 22, Fernandez is now in an elite club of players to move for over £100m. Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann, Jack Grealish and Romelu Lukaku make up the rest of the list. 

Fernandez is valued by Transfermarkt (opens in new tab) to be worth €55m.

More Chelsea stories

Declan Rice has reportedly agreed to join Arsenal this summer (opens in new tab), with the West Ham (opens in new tab) midfielder also a transfer target for Chelsea (opens in new tab).

Chelsea have reopened talks over a move for Enzo Fernandez (opens in new tab), whom they were linked with at the start of January.

But the Blues look set to be beaten by Liverpool to the signature of Wolves star Matheus Nunes this summer (opens in new tab).

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Mark White
Mark White
Staff Writer

Mark White has been a staff writer on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, writing pieces for both online and the magazine. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also been to the FA Cup and League Cup finals for FFT and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He once saw Tyrone Mings at a petrol station in Bournemouth but felt far too short to ask for a photo.