Recent Chelsea signing Enzo Fernandez, following his record-breaking transfer from Benfica, has criticised the media
Just before the transfer window closed, the Blues and the Portuguese powerhouses reached a reported £106.8 million agreement in which they agreed to pay the midfielder’s full release clause.
Fernandez, 22, has surpassed Manchester City’s £100 million expenditure for Jack Grealish in 2021 to become the most expensive player to play on British soil.
On leaving the Eagles, Fernandez wrote on social media: “I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, where I enjoyed every moment to the fullest and always gave my best.
“Let the press not stain what we built together because it was something wonderful that I had never imagined.
“Thanks to all the collaborators who worked hard to make the institution much bigger than it is.
“Thanks to my colleagues for always treating me in the best way and making me feel at home.
“I’m grateful to the club’s leadership and especially to [Benfica coach] Roger Schmidt, to all your staff for the trust and daily respect.”
The River Plate academy graduate joined Benfica last July but rose to prominence when helping Argentina lift their third World Cup in December, with his performances seeing him named the Young Player of the Tournament in Qatar.
Chelsea had pursued the star throughout January but a deal looked unlikely due to the Portuguese side’s reported demands over the structure of the deal.
Yet after rekindling their interest in recent days, the Blues made a late breakthrough to add Fernandez to Graham Potter’s bulging squad.
The Argentinian World Cup winner, the club’s eighth major arrival during the January sales, has been handed a deal until the summer of 2031 at Stamford Bridge.
He follows the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile in joining Todd Boehly’s revolution in West London.
Coming soon. 🇦🇷🏆 pic.twitter.com/z5uaH5DB44
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 1, 2023
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