Chelsea’s pursuit of Enzo Fernandez seems to be over, with the Premier League club failing to reach an agreement with Benfica. The manager of the club, Roger Schmidt, has also commented on the issue, saying that he now expects the midfielder to continue playing for the Portuguese side. 

Fernandez made a huge splash at the 2022 World Cup, winning the young player of the tournament award. And despite only joining them six months ago, the Blues were interested in signing him. 

Roger Schmidt expects Enzo Fernandez to continue with Benfica 

“I’m glad this question is closed and now we can focus on football again,” the former PSV boss said after Enzo Fernandez scored in the team’s Portuguese Cup victory over second-tier side Varzim on Tuesday. “It was very important for Enzo to return to play with his team and for Benfica. Rumours of proposals and opportunities, that’s part of football.”

“The important thing is how the player and the club deal with the situation,” Schmidt said. “It was all very open and sincere. I never had any doubts about his character, personality and attitude. An extraordinary player who loves to play football and for Benfica.”

The Argentine has a €120 million release clause in his contract with Benfica. Chelsea were first offering a fee in excess of that amount to be paid in instalments to sign him. But later, they lowballed their offer which was worth only €80 million, and was rejected by Benfica. 

As a result, inspite of having an agreement with the Blues on personal terms, Fernandez was unable to seal a transfer away. And his celebration after scoring clearly suggested that he will be staying at Benfica for the foreseeable future.