Chelsea
offer 29-year-old plus €100 million to sign top midfield target
Chelsea have reportedly included Hakim Ziyech in their latest player-plus-cash bid to sign
Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in the January transfer window.
According to Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb, Chelsea have offered Benfica €100 million in
cash plus Hakim Ziyech to sign 22-year-old World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez in the final
days of the winter transfer window. The report adds that Chelsea have re-entered
negotiations over a move for the Benfica star after talks broke down earlier this month.
The 22-year-old caught Chelsea’s attention during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar earlier this
year, where he propelled his country Argentina to lift the ever-elusive trophy, as well as
earning himself the tournament’s Best Young Player award.
The Blues have been linked with the World Cup breakout star almost the entire window
but failed in their previous bid to sign the Argentine playmaker, whose contract contains
a €120 million release clause. Benfica have stood firm this window, demanding the clause
be paid in full for any departure to be accepted for their prized asset, contracted until 2027.
The installment offer is understood to have irked the powers that be at Benfica,
with manager Roger Schmidt publicly blasting Chelsea’s strategy to turn
the player’s head in their attempt to pay less than his release clause.
Chelsea have struggled with form and consistency this season,
winning only eight of their first 20 Premier League matches. Now,
they find themselves languishing in mid-table, a whopping 10 points adrift of the top four.
To be fair, there was always going to be a period of transition following the takeover
and Graham Potter’s arrival, with new signings taking their rightful time to gel together. The
west Londoners have already made six January signings, including Mykhaylo Mudryk,
Benoit Badiashile, and Joao Felix, spending in excess of €150 million in this window.
However, one area of the squad that has not been bolstered yet is the midfield.
And Chelsea remain desperate to try and strengthen their options
in the middle of the park before the transfer window slams shut.
After unsuccessfully exploring Enzo Fernandez’s alternatives such as Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac
Allister, and even Yves Bissouma, recent reports have suggested Chelsea could be
readying a fresh attempt to bring Benfica back to the negotiation table for Fernandez.
As it turns out, the Blues have come forward with a tempting offer to bring
their top midfield target to Stamford Bridge. The Blues have tabled an offer of
around €100 million plus Hakim Ziyech in exchange for the Benfica midfielder.
Ziyech, who has failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed
upon him following his 2020 summer move from Ajax,
has also attracted significant interest following his exploits at the World Cup with Morocco.
The 29-year-old has been strongly linked with Newcastle United and AC Milan. But it appears
Benfica will have the opportunity to sign him in a part-exchange deal for Fernandez.
With UEFA set to change the player contract rules for the summer after Chelsea’s antics of handing
new signings incredibly lengthy contracts this month, Todd Boehly and co. will certainly want to
close the big-money Enzo Fernandez deal this month itself. It remains to be seen whether Benfica will
budge after the Blues’ latest offer. But they have been reluctant to sell the World Cup winner.