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Chelsea has signed midfielder
Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a Premier League record £106.8m.
deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack
Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago.
The 22-year-old, who only joined Benfica last summer for
around £10m, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge to
keep him at the club until the summer of 2031.
Chelsea had been in talks to sign the World Cup winner
throughout January, but Benfica had refused to do business unless the Blues
paid his €120m release clause.
But Chelsea
agreed a deal of €121m at 9.15pm on Deadline Day after 12 hours of talks led by
Chelsea’s co-owner Behdad Eghbali from London.
The Blues will pay a first instalment of £30m
with the rest of the fee paid in five further instalments.
Fernandez was left out of Benfica’s squad for
their game against Arouca on Tuesday night, with the 22-year-old undergoing a
medical in Portugal ahead of his switch to Stamford Bridge.
According to Portuguese broadcaster SIC,
Fernandez will fly to the UK on Wednesday morning, with a private jet scheduled
to leave Lisbon airport at 10.20am.
Fernandez will help to replace Jorginho, who
joined Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.
According to Portuguese broadcaster SIC,
Fernandez will fly to the UK on Wednesday morning, with a private jet scheduled
to leave Lisbon airport at 10.20am.
Fernandez will help to replace Jorginho, who
joined Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.
