Gary Neville blasts Chelsea’s £112m move for Enzo Fernandez – doesn’t have the ‘pedigree’ to match his eye-watering fee
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Gary Neville questioned Chelsea’s £112 million acquisition of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, saying it was a “hell of a lot” for the World Cup champion.
After helping Argentina and Lionel Messi win the World Cup last month, the 21-year-old midfielder won Young Player of the Tournament in Qatar, catching the attention of Todd Boehly and Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge.
According to Portuguese reports, the Blues have since made the Argentine youngster a £112 million offer, which exceeds his £106 million buyout clause. According to reports, Chelsea intends to make three separate payments totaling £37.3 million over the following three years.
After learning about Chelsea’s offer, Neville tweeted: “Are Chelsea paying €127m for Enzo Fernandez?” That is a really steep price. Very talented, but bloody hell!
Fans immediately questioned the analyst turned Manchester United great about his opinion of Antony’s move to Old Trafford this summer, which cost the Red Devils £85.5 million on deadline day.
Supporters also brought up the 2016 £100 million acquisition of Paul Pogba by United in contrast to the costly Fernandez transfer by Chelsea.
In response, the 47-year-old commentator said: “Agree with Anthony (he has work to do to justify his €95 million price tag). Pogba had a resume when he joined United, so they are not comparable.
In 25 games this season for Benfica in all competitions, Fernandez has contributed three goals and five assists, helping the Portuguese powerhouses to open up a five-point lead at the top of the standings.
Despite Benfica’s desire to protect their greatest asset, the young player is thought to be keen on moving to Stamford Bridge, and talks between the two teams are expected to continue on Tuesday.