Every now and again, a story emerges about a regret that AC Milan have when it comes to transfers that never happened.
The latest one concerns Enzo Fernandez, a key figure in the Argentina team that reached the World Cup final and one of the strongest midfielders on the international scene. He was really close to wearing the Milan shirt in the summer of 2022, as MilanVibes reveal.
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Enzo to Milan: The background
Before his definitive breakthrough with Benfica and his record-breaking transfer to Chelsea after the World Cup in Qatar, the Argentine talent had been in the sights of the then-management team of Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara.
An agreement with the player had practically been reached, but the deal fell through due to River Plate’s financial demands and problems with the agency that owned his rights. According to what later emerged, Enzo had given his approval to joining Milan too, but the costs stopped everything.
River Plate demanded immediate payment of a clause of approximately €18m for 75% of his contract, a figure that could have risen to €23m. A solution of €12m plus €8m in bonuses was also proposed through intermediaries.
Milan were carefully managing their summer budget, and the management were unhappy with the idea of investing a sum without full control of his rights. So, they preferred to concentrate their investments on Charles De Ketelaere, considered the absolute priority at the time.
After failing to land in Italy, the current Blues captain immediately moved to Benfica, where it took just a few months to establish himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe. Then, after doing well in the last World Cup, he earned a €127m move to Chelsea, and the rest is history.
Enzo is proving his worth even in the current World Cup. The 25-year-old was a key player in Argentina’s run to the final, netting the equaliser in the semi-final against England, assisted by Lionel Messi in the dying minutes. He is being linked with Real Madrid now, and is out of sight for Milan.