According to The Times, Benfica have now offered Enzo Fernandez a new contract after Liverpool reportedly made contact with his agent, Jorge Mendes, about a transfer.
Chelsea have also been strongly linked with a move for the Argentine with the Daily Record recently reporting that a bid has gone in from the Blues for the player.
However, Benfica aren’t willing to give up on keeping Fernandez that easily, and now, they’ve offered him a new deal with an inflated release clause.
Of course, whether or not the World Cup Young Player of the Tournament decides to sign that new contract remains to be seen.
It all depends on what Fernandez wants at this point in his career.
Benfica can offer him a clear pathway to superstardom, regular minutes and stability, while Chelsea and Liverpool can offer him the chance to challenge for the Champions League and life-changing amounts of money.
The finances on offer at Benfica probably aren’t too bad either, but let’s be real, both Chelsea and Liverpool will be able to offer a lot more than the Portuguese giants can at this point in time.
After winning the World Cup, Fernandez will surely have a taste for success at the highest level, and for that reason, we can’t see him re-signing with Benfica at this point.
Instead, it’s more likely that Fernandez will pursue a move that will allow him the chance to play in the latter stages, and potentially win, the Champions League, and given that Benfica aren’t regulars in the final rounds of that competition, it may be tough for them to convince Fernandez that staying in Lisbon is his best course of action.
This is certainly a situation to keep an eye on as the January window rolls around.
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