Could Enzo Fernandez leave Chelsea?placeholder image
Could Enzo Fernandez leave Chelsea? | AFP via Getty Images
Enzo Fernandez appeared to be open to a Chelsea exit this summer following defeat to PSG.
Chelsea have been urged to make a transfer swoop for Bayern Munich stalwart Leon Goretzka should Enzo Fernandez leave the club this summer.
The Argentine midfielder has been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge in recent windows with some of Europe’s top clubs linked. Fernandez appeared to pour fuel onto the fire of those rumours after the 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
Chelsea paid a British record transfer fee of £107 million to sign the player in January 2023 and Fernandez has gone on to become one of the league’s most dynamic central midfielders. When asked whether he would be at the club next season, the player told ESPN: "I don't know, there are eight games left and the FA Cup. There's the World Cup and then we'll see."
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior would not be drawn into commenting on the quotes after the match but all eyes remain on where Fernandez may play his football next term. Should an exit leave a hole to fill, European football expert Andy Brassell believes that Goretzka should be top of the list.
The 31-year-old will be a free agent upon the expiry of his Bayern Munich contract this summer, having won six Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during his eight years at the club. It’s already been confirmed that the midfielder will not extend his deal at the end of the campaign.
Premier League clubs set to court soon-to-be Bayern Munich free agent
Brassell told talkSPORT: "He's not at his 2020 peak. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
"He was built like a Marvel hero after his lockdown workouts, and he and Joshua Kimmich seemed to represent the future of Bayern on and off the pitch. What he has underlined in this season, when he has started 17 Bundesliga games, is that he remains a very, very good player. When you look at the physical side of him, I think him in the Premier League makes a lot of sense."
Arsenal have also been linked with the player and are known to have made an enquiry following the injury to Mikel Merino at the end of January, with Manchester United said to be another option.
Brassell added: "I'd like him for Arsenal, I'd like him for Man United, I'd like him for Chelsea, especially if they end up losing Enzo Fernandez. We'll have to see what happens there. But because he's not always been first pick, he's become more versatile as well, so he can do more different roles in the midfield.
"I'm not saying he starts for whatever Premier League team, I'm not sure that's the case. But he's someone who, in a game now where if you're one of the best teams, you're playing like 60 games a season, if you've got a bloke who takes part in like 45, starting or sub, or 50, he's someone who can definitely do that."
In other news, Chelsea Player Ratings: 'Torrid' 3/10 but 'workhouse' 8 deserves kudos in PSG romp.
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