Speaking to The Sun, Chris Waddle has been discussing Enzo Fernandez after his big-money move to Chelsea.
The Argentine joined the Blues in a club-record deal on transfer deadline day, and while he’s looked decent so far for the west London club, he’s not looked like a £105m player by any means.
Waddle says that he’s a fan of Fernandez, but he doesn’t think he’s that much better than Mateo Kovacic or Arsenal’s Jorginho.
Fernandez not that much better than Jorginho
Waddle discussed the Chelsea star.
“He’s a player who works hard, he’s a very good passer of the ball, he keeps the ball very well. He’s got a few different attributes than Jorginho had or Mateo Kovacic. I wouldn’t say he was streets ahead of them, so time will tell,” Waddle said.
“Chelsea will be good, because the players that they have signed are good players, but it’s going to take time which is why I’m waiting for them to kick in.
“Would I say they’ve spent too much money on him? I’d probably say that about a lot of players. For me, he’s got to score goals, he’s got to make goals, he’s got to be an unbelievable player all over the park.
“He’s not a dribbler, he’s not an exciting player, which then people might think if he’s playing at an average level then people will say why have you paid that much money?”
Time on his side
Waddle is right, Fernandez isn’t miles and miles ahead of the likes of Jorginho or Kovacic right now, but, to be honest, he doesn’t really need to be.
He’s certainly as good as them, if not better, and at the age of 22, he’s infinitely more valuable.
If Jorginho was 10 years younger, he himself would probably be fetching close to £100m, that’s just the way the market works these days.
Chelsea have overpaid here, but that’s just the way it goes in modern football. You have to pay huge money to get the players you want.
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