Liverpool and Newcastle have received a small boost in the race to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
It was O Jogo in Portugal who claimed that Jürgen Klopp is keen to sign the Argentina international.
Elsewhere, the Daily Mail revealed that Newcastle want to sign Fernandez.
Benfica squashed talk of an exit earlier this week by releasing an official statement about the South American, claiming that he would stay until at least the end of the season.
Now, Roger Schmidt – Manager of Benfica – has added fuel to the fire.
What’s the story?
Well, the 55-year-old failed to confirm whether Friday’s 3-0 loss to Braga would be Fernandez’s final game at Benfica.
As quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Schmidt said: “I don’t know if this was Enzo’s last match, he’s a fantastic player. Sometimes in football things happen and players have to make a decision. We’ll see what happens in next weeks.”
Many did not expect the 21-year-old to start against Braga last night, after his exploits for Argentina at the World Cup.
However, Fernandez is an important player for Benfica and Schmidt, so he was called upon despite O Jogo stating that he would might sit out against Braga in order to avoid an injury, which would potentially ruin a transfer.
The Argentine has a release clause worth €120m (£105m) written into his contract, which Benfica are referring interested parties to – they seemingly have no desire to accept anything below that amount.
Newcastle could beat Liverpool to Enzo Fernandez
According to A Bola in Portugal, Newcastle could soon meet the £105m release clause.
The Portuguese news outlet believe Benfica are worried about the Magpies throwing their wealth around this winter and triggering their No.13’s release clause.
Newcastle can certainly afford to pay that amount thanks to their Saudi Arabian backing, whereas Liverpool are not as mighty when it comes to finances.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Schmidt’s comments have breathed fresh life into the saga.
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