Enzo Fernandez has been speaking about his mega-money move from Benfica to Chelsea and whether his price tag has impacted him.
Chelsea broke the British transfer record in 2023 to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, paying the Portuguese club a whopping £107m fee.
Right now, the midfielder is thriving in the Premier League. Enzo Maresca recently described Fernandez as a “good example” following an upturn in form.
However, things have not always been easy for the 23-year-old, who has now spoken about his huge transfer.
Seamus Coleman of Everton and Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Chelsea FC at Goodison Park on Dece...
Photo by Molly Darlington – AMA/Getty Images
Enzo Fernandez not affected by price tag
There was a lot of pressure on Fernandez when he arrived at Chelsea last year.
The club were not in a good place under Graham Potter, while the Argentina international was now a £107m midfielder who had just helped his country to lift the World Cup.
However, Fernandez claims that the pressure that came with that huge price tag did not impact him.
Speaking to ESPN about it, he said: “It didn’t affect me. I tried to take it responsibly, with enjoyment, without pressure. I was not satisfied with what I had been showing, then I got injured, many adverse things happened, I tried to move forward but today I feel very good, as does the team and we hope to continue on this path.”
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Last time out against Everton, ESPN pundit Luis Miguel Echegaray felt that Fernandez was not at his best, but his overall form in recent weeks has been good. He got an assist in the 2-1 win against Brentford before, which followed his goal in the 4-3 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Enzo Fernandez has adapted under Enzo Maresca
Things were not looking pretty for Fernandez under Maresca at one point. In October, the Chelsea head coach dropped the former Benfica man for his side’s 2-1 loss against Liverpool.
He did not win his spot in the team back until Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Leicester City towards the end of November.
Fernandez managed to score in that game and has only gone from strength to strengthen since then, with the Argentina star now feeling that he has adapted to the role Maresca has given him.
In the same ESPN interview, he said: “I learned the position in which I had to play, over time I got the idea of what the coach wanted. He [Maresca] explained to me what he wanted and I was getting the concept, reading the games. There is still a long way to go.”
Playing alongside Moises Caicedo, Chelsea now easily have one of the strongest midfields in the Premier League.
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