Chelsea travel to Germany to face Bayern Munich in their first match of the Champions League group phase on Wednesday.
The Blues were held to a 2-2 draw by West London rivals Brentford on Saturday night, although Enzo Maresca’s side are still unbeaten after four matches this term.
The London giants will now travel to the site of their 2012 Champions League triumph to face Bayern, who could line up with striker Nicolas Jackson – who is on loan from the Blues – in their starting 11.
Maresca will hope to see his side progress automatically through the group phase of the Champions League, having overseen triumphs in both the Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup since taking charge of the club.
It appears, however, that one of Europe’s biggest clubs are interested in one of Chelsea’s most influential players.
According to Defensa Central via CaughtOffside, Spanish giants Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Fernandez has attracted interest from Real Madrid (Photo: Associated Press/Alamy)
The report claims that the La Liga side are interested in the Argentina international, and could make a move to sign him in the near future.
Chelsea have been charged with 74 breaches of FA regulations concerning agents, and the report suggests that the West London side could receive a hefty fine.
If so, Real could attempt to test Chelsea’s resolve by making a move for the 24-year-old midfielder, however the Blues are said to be adamant that he is not for sale.
Fernandez joined Chelsea from Portuguese side Benfica in January 2023 for a fee of around £106 million and, after a slow start to life in England, he has slowly established himself as one of the best in the Premier League in his position.
In total he has featured 119 times for Chelsea across all competitions, scoring 18 goals and providing 24 assists.
The central midfielder played an integral role as Maresca’s side won both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last term, captaining the Blues on several occasions over the the course of the campaign.
The Argentine is under contract at Stamford Bridge until the end of the 2031/32 campaign, which puts the Premier League side in a commanding position during any potential negotiations.