Chelsea has secured the transfer of midfielder Enzo Fernandez from S.L. Benfica for a British-record fee of £106.8 million. This surpasses the previous record of £100 million that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months prior. Fernandez, 22 years old, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea and will play at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez, a 22-year-old midfielder, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea Football Club, which will keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2031. Fernandez, who only moved to S.L. Benfica last summer for a fee of approximately £10 million, has now signed a British-record transfer deal with Chelsea, worth £106.8 million.
Following lengthy negotiations with S.L. Benfica. The Portuguese club had been unwilling to part with Fernandez unless Chelsea met his €120 million release clause. However, after 12 hours of talks led by Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali, the two clubs reached an agreement for a fee of €121 million. The payment will be made in six instalments, with the first amounting to £30 million. The transfer was completed on Deadline Day, just before 9:15 PM.
Fernandez was not included in S.L. Benfica’s squad for their match against Arouca on Tuesday, as he was undergoing a medical examination in Portugal in preparation for his transfer to Chelsea Football Club. The 22-year-old midfielder is now set to join Stamford Bridge.
Portuguese broadcaster SIC reports that Fernandez will travel to the United Kingdom on Wednesday morning. A private jet is reportedly scheduled to depart from Lisbon airport at 10:20 AM. Fernandez’s arrival at Chelsea Football Club is expected to fill the gap left by Jorginho, who joined London rival Arsenal for a £12 million fee on Deadline Day.
