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Chelsea have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for an English record £106.8m.
The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago.
The 22-year-old, who only joined Benfica last summer for around £10m, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge to keep him at the club until the summer of 2031.
Chelsea have been in talks to sign the World Cup champions in January, but Benfica are refusing to do business unless the Blues pay their €120m release clause.
But Chelsea agreed a €121m deal at 9.15pm on Deadline Day after 12 hours of talks led by Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali from London.
The Blues will pay the first installment of £30m with the rest paid in five further instalments.
Fernandez was left out of Benfica’s squad for Tuesday night’s game against Arouca, with the 22-year-old undergoing a medical in Portugal ahead of his move to Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez is Chelsea’s eighth signing of the January window
According to the Portuguese broadcaster SICFernandez will fly to the UK on Wednesday morning, with a private jet scheduled to leave Lisbon airport at 10.20am.
Fernandez will help replace Jorginho, who joined Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.
How much will Chelsea be worth in January?
GRAPHICS
After Fernandez’s arrival, Chelsea spent £323.3m. Here are the deals the Blues made in January:
- Benoit Badiashile – Monaco, £35m
- David Datro Fofana – Molde, undisclosed (reported £10m deal)
- Andrew Santos – Vasco da Gama, undisclosed (reported £18m deal)
- Joao Felix – Atletico Madrid, £9.7m loan
- Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk, £88.5m
- Noni Madueke – PSV Eindhoven, £29m
- Malo wants – Lyon, £26.3m
- Enzo Fernandez – Benfica, £106.8m
Analysis: What Fernandez will bring to Chelsea
Ron Walker Sky Sports:
“Fernandez’s attributes explain how he can help. Still only halfway through his first season with Benfica, he has the second most assists in the Primeira Liga, and has created 30 chances for his teammates – some especially the eye. -catch, and stunning pinpoint set- up for Goncalo Ramos against Sporting earlier this month perhaps the pick of the bunch.
“It was his playmaking potential that made Manchester City and Real Madrid interested in him from River Plate last summer before he moved to Lisbon.
“No one in the Portuguese top flight makes more passes than the Argentine, and if he proves to replace Jorginho at Stamford Bridge, he will also add to the final third where he is also at the top of the charts.
“If Chelsea want to play with two midfielders, they will also provide a better option there. Fernandez has been in charge without the ball at Benfica, playing the anchorman role regularly as needed. He has become one of the best tacklers in the league. and only 10 players in the division have won the ball back in the middle third despite the result being more upfield.
Read the full feature here
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