Chelsea’s pursuit of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernández is still possible despite the transfer not being an “easy deal to do”, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

Head coach Graham Potter is looking to revamp his options in the middle of the park at Stamford Bridge, with Jorginho and N’Golo Kanté’s current contracts set to expire in the next six months.

Chelsea transfer news – Enzo Fernández

According to reports in Portugal (via The Sun), Chelsea are prepared to offer Benfica £88m as well as some of their own players in an attempt to convince the Portuguese giants into selling Fernández to the Premier League outfit.

The Blues have already had a bid worth £112m to be paid in instalments turned down this month, but seem intent in their mission to acquire the 22-year-old’s signature before the transfer window closes next week.

Journalist Simon Phillips has recently told GiveMeSport that Potter’s side could push to try and get a deal for the World Cup winner over the line in January, but the club will not pay his £106m release clause in full.

And Jones believes that a move for Fernández is still possible, due to Todd Boehly’s ability to come up with new negotiation tactics.

What has Jones said about Chelsea and Fernández?

Jones told GiveMeSport: “Enzo Fernández is not an easy deal to do at this stage because of the complications around the release clause and trying to convince Benfica to take players as part of the agreement. Boehly is very good at coming up with new negotiation tactics, so there is still a possibility this one lights up again.”

Would Fernández be a good signing for Chelsea?

Fernández – who has been described as a “top talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella – has caught the eye of Europe’s top clubs since following his performances in Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign last month.

The midfielder made two appearances off the bench in La Albiceleste’s first two games in the Middle East before becoming a starter in the side for the rest of the tournament, as the South American nation secured their third world title.

An average WhoScored rating of 7.06 for his showings in Qatar ranked him as the fourth-best-performing player in Lionel Scaloni’s squad, suggesting that he was not fazed by the prospect of playing on the world’s biggest stage.

The 10-cap international compares favourably with his positional peers and ranks in the top 1% of midfielders across the following eight competitions for passes attempted (97.32) and progressive passes per 90 minutes (9.30) over the last 365 days, as per FBref.

Therefore, it seems as though Fernández could be an excellent all-round midfielder and at the age of just 22, could be seen as a long-term option for the future in Potter’s side.

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