Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez’s signing could prove to be “a very good deal” when looking back on the transfer in a year’s time, journalist Simon Phillips has suggested to GIVEMESPORT.
Graham Potter’s side secured the signature of the Benfica starlet during the January transfer window.
Chelsea news – Enzo Fernandez
With negotiations having dragged on until the final hours of the transfer window, Chelsea finally confirmed the signing of Fernandez for a British record of £107m, having got a deal over the line before the market’s closure in January.
The 22-year-old has been thrown straight into Potter’s regular starting XI and is beginning to adapt to life in the Premier League, having only made the switch to Europe from Argentina last summer.
Journalist Paul Brown has recently suggested to GIVEMESPORT that the Blues could have a “sexy partnership” in the middle of the park when N’Golo Kante returns to partner the South American at Stamford Bridge.
And Phillips believes that the fee to secure Fernandez’s services could prove to be a good deal, given the eye-watering figures touted for the signature of Borussia Dortmund and England teenager Jude Bellingham.
What has Phillips said about Chelsea and Fernandez?
When speaking about Fernandez’ start to life at Chelsea, Phillips told GIVEMESPORT: “I think this time next year we will be having a conversation and saying ‘he’s completely justified that fee.’
“Especially when you see the prices being touted for someone like Jude Bellingham at the moment, who is going to cost around £120m-£130m, which is £10m-£20m less than what we paid for Fernandez.
“I think this is going to prove to be a very good deal when we look back at this in about a year.”
How has Fernandez performed this season?
The current campaign has been nothing short of a whirlwind for Fernandez, after becoming a World Cup winner with Argentina and the subject of a £107m transfer to Todd Boehly's outfit since his departure from River Plate last summer.
In terms of his start to life at Chelsea, the ten-cap La Albiceleste international - who has previously been dubbed as a "beast" by journalist Ives Galarcep - has provided two assists in nine appearances, having mainly been deployed as a holding midfielder.
An average WhoScored rating of 7.08 for his displays in the Premier League ranks the San Martin-born star as the second-best-performing player in Potter’s squad this season, indicating that he is already beginning to pay back the extortionate transfer fee spent to secure his services.
It seems Fernandez has already found his feet in his early days in English football and will be hopeful of taking his game to the next level over the coming years.