There is all this talk about players like Cole Palmer, Estevao, Joao Pedro and Moises Caicedo. Yes, they have had their ups and downs. But there is a recognition of their talent and potential. One who does not often get those same flowers is Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine, once brought in as the face of the BlueCo project, has somehow become the club’s most underrated player.
Just look at his numbers this season. 22 goal contributions in total. 15 goals and 7 assists. 10 of those goals have come in the Premier League. 3 in the Champions League.
Not only is Fernandez contributing but he is doing so in the big moments. That goal-plus-assist performance against Tottenham Hotspur is the latest example of that. If some others around him performed at a similar level this season, the Blues might have finished in the Champions League spots. In fact, they almost certainly would have.
In fact, there continue to be rumours about a potential exit in the summer. Of course, a large part of that is a result of his own actions. The Argentine has never ruled out the chances of a move away. And amid rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid, he chose to name the Spanish capital as a city he would like to live in someday, acting as a catalyst for further speculation.
What is Enzo Fernandez’s current stance?
It is not hard to see why someone like Fernandez might be frustrated with how things have gone for Chelsea. This is a club that had a four-window project to become one of the best in Europe. Four years in, they can’t even qualify for the Champions League. A World Cup winner is expected to have higher ambitions. And if he feels he cannot meet them at Stamford Bridge, considering an exit is only natural.
Yet, according to football.london, Chelsea sources have insisted ever since he flirted with a move to Real Madrid that Fernandez is happy at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will also be hoping that Xabi Alonso’s arrival will be enough to appease not only the Argentine World Cup winner but the rest of the squad as well.
The Spaniard is being viewed as someone who can guide Chelsea back to the top. And it has been suggested that he has been given enough power to help steer the direction of the club, rather than being in the back seat and trying to make the best out of whatever he is provided.
Why Chelsea cannot afford to see Fernandez leave this summer
Fernandez is the type of player that Chelsea should be trying to build around this summer, not worry that he could leave. And yet, that could still be a possibility.
It has been suggested that it might all come down to his contract situation. So far, Chelsea have not been able to agree on one with Fernandez’s camp. But based on the midfielder’s displays, it is about time that they did everything possible to change that, even moving away from the wage structure.
In fact, the wage structure might be a major hindrance if the club want to sign proven players this summer. It is hard to imagine that the likes of Bernardo Silva, Victor Osimhen and others would be willing to join Chelsea by taking a pay cut. It simply is not realistic.
BlueCo have seemed open to changing other aspects of how things run at Stamford Bridge. A manager has been appointed. Premier League-proven players seem to be on the agenda for the summer. The wage structure should be next.