Benfica do not want to sell Enzo Fernandez in the January transfer window, amid interest from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Graham Potter’s Chelsea, according to The Times.
Bola Na Rede in Portugal have reported that Liverpool are keen on breaking their transfer record by triggering the £106 million release clause in Fernandez’s contract.
According to Record this month, Liverpool have made contact in regard to signing Fernandez from Benfica.
How Benfica are trying to stop Liverpool target Enzo Fernandez from leaving for Chelsea
The Times have reported that Chelsea want to sign the Argentina international midfielder, who played a big role in his national team winning the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
However, Benfica do not want to sell the 21-year-old central midfielder in the middle of the season, and club president Rui Costa is trying his best to convince the youngster to snub a move to Chelsea in the January transfer window.
According to The Times, ‘Costa is understood to have highlighted Chelsea’s lowly Premier League position — they are eighth, six points adrift of the top four — the risk of missing out on Champions League football and recent instability after the Todd Boehly-fronted consortium’s takeover and Graham Potter replacing Thomas Tuchel as the head coach’.
The report has added that ‘Costa has offered to substantially improve the contract Fernández signed upon joining from River Plate six months ago, with a further €8 million (£7 million) of performance-related variables’.
What’s the solution?
In our view, the only way that Liverpool or Chelsea would be able to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in the January transfer window is if they paid his release clause of £106 million.
That would give them the chance to speak to Fernandez.
We think that the 21-year-old Argentina international would be very keen to move to the Premier League and play for Liverpool or Chelsea.
However, if Liverpool or Chelsea do not trigger the youngster’s release clause, then there is no obligation on the part of Benfica to even negotiate a deal.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
