Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea almost three years ago, and has been front and centre in the rebuild carried out in recent seasons.
Arriving at Stamford Bridge fresh off a World Cup win — where he also won Young Player of the Tournament — Fernandez struggled for consistency in his first couple of campaigns.
Last season, though, he stepped up for the Blues. This campaign, he’s continuing to grow in stature.
Fernandez thinks Maresca’s arrival changed everything at Chelsea. It certainly changed his fortunes. The £100 million+ fee Benfica commanded for his signature is looking like money well spent.
Who is Chelsea’s best manager of the past decade? 👀
🚨🚨| Chelsea have had 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 different managers in just 8 years:
▪️Antonio Conte – 2016
▪️Maurizio Sarri – 2018
▪️Frank Lampard – 2019
▪️Thomas Tuchel – 2021
▪️Graham Potter – 2022
▪️Frank Lampard – 2023 (interim)
▪️Mauricio Pochettino – 2023 pic.twitter.com/enXca4buaa
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But long before he became one of the leaders of the side, Fernandez endured some turbulent times at Chelsea.
Enzo Fernandez recalls the hectic early days of BlueCo at Chelsea
The Chelsea we are watching this season is a far cry from the side that finished 12th not too long ago.
The takeover threw everything into disarray, and the incomings and outgoings felt erratic.
As Fernandez tells GiveMeSport: “Yes, it was a hard period, there were so many players in the dressing room.
“We almost all didn’t fit, here were 30 of us or over 30. It was crazy, but that time has passed, it’s behind us now and we’re focused on the present.”
Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea FC poses with the trophy during
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
That time is indeed passed. This version of the Blues is a trophy-winning side who can beat any team on their day.
We haven’t seen the best of Enzo Fernandez
For how long we’ve been watching Fernandez, it feels like he’s older than 24. With so much of his career still ahead of him, there’s no reason why this trajectory he’s on won’t continue.
That’s an exciting prospect.
Maresca says Fernandez didn’t understand his role when he first took over, but that has certainly changed. He’s been involved in more goals than any Chelsea player in 2025.
Enzo Fernandez playing for Chelsea against Spurs
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
There is the concern of a departure to acknowledge, though Fernandez has rejected advances from Real Madrid.
If he does remain at Stamford Bridge long term, him and Moises Caicedo can form one of the great Premier League midfield partnerships.