Chelsea expect Enzo Fernandez to be at the club for a very long time, sources close to Stamford Bridge have told football.london.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who cost the club £106million in January 2023, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer. In recent days, reports from Spain have credited Los Blancos with an interest in Fernandez but the Blues have no interest whatsoever in parting ways with the Argentine.
Fernandez has been in sparkling form for Chelsea this season, particularly in recent weeks and is arguably playing the best football since switching Benfica for west London over two years ago. The Argentina World Cup winner is viewed as a massive part of the club's future and, as it stands, is one of the first names on Enzo Maresca's team sheet.
In all competitions this season, the former Benfica man has played almost 2500 minutes, with Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer the only teammates to have been on the pitch for a longer period of time. In 33 appearances, Fernandez has scored five goals and assisted nine times for the Blues this term - with 14 direct goal contributions being his personal best since moving to England.
Chelsea will be looking to add support and competition for Fernandez in the summer transfer window. The Blues are looking in the market for a new central midfielder with their options in that department severely limited this season.
Romeo Lavia has been superb when he has played, however that has been a lot less than the club would have hoped. The Belgian midfielder has played fewer than 600 minutes across 12 appearances in all competitions for the Blues in his second season with the club, with injuries hampering his progress and development yet again.
Meanwhile, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has seen his playing time very limited since moving to Chelsea from Leicester City for £30m last summer. Dewsbury-Hall followed Maresca from the King Power Stadium to Stamford Bridge but has been unable to kick on since making the move.
Mathis Amougou was brought in over the mid-season transfer window but the 19-year-old midfielder is viewed as one for the future. Amougou, who has made one appearance for the senior side since signing from Saint-Etienne, is someone who could be loaned out in the summer to aid his development, while there will be a couple of players returning to Cobham.
Andrey Santos has shone on loan at Strasbourg this season and is seen as an extremely exciting prospect by senior officials at Chelsea. Lesley Ugochukwu's future will be discussed in the summer when the French midfielder returns from his loan spell with Championship-bound Southampton.