It’s a batshit crazy fee for a 22 year old who has played so little in Europe. Chelsea better hope they get this one right or else they will just sign a replacement next season.
Enzo Fernández | signs for Chelsea
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This is sarcasm but it's ignoring that he's excelled in the Champions League and was the best young player in the world cup and a major reason for why Argentina actually won the world cup. He's an elite prospect and has shown it in this half season, and Chelsea feels they'd rather get him in than miss out on him for a hard position to fix. Not like midfielders like him are all over the place. They're all very expensive.
Put it this way, what is more 'crazier' spend... 100m on Antony, or 120m on Enzo? I'd say the 100m on Antony, given that Enzo had the World Cup performance which is massive for reputation and judging his level on a big stage, while their club seasons before the transfers I'd say were similarly excellent for league and CL.
I think midfielders in particular are even more tricky to predict. The best young midfielder I've seen was Fabregas by some distance. He had an excellent career but he's not an all time great midfielder. At 21 years old he would have been considered vastly better than Modric or Kroos and probably ahead of Iniesta and Xavi too.
The money isn’t actually what you think it is though. It would be better if people didn’t list total amounts really. If the payment terms as I understand them end up being correct, then Enzo will cost less against the FFP cap than the Felix deal, and teams are saying “no” to that.
There is a clear demarcation coming between the teams and leagues with money and those without though. The leagues and countries being a big issue.
We’ve been hearing that for nigh on 50 years when it comes to football.
I mean, he just has to ask Mac Allister. Potter took him from being a very average CAM to a starting midfielder for Argentina’s World Cup title. He credits Potter with completely transforming him as a player.
I do find it entertaining that the one thing people absolutely knew Potter was good at is now being looked at as something he’s incapable of after 12 games with a mostly injured team mixed with those that were playing knowing they would soon be surplus. More than half of the team against NF have been linked with the chopping block recently… which is remarkable really.
I said it may change under Potter!
Nothing is guaranteed though. Obviously whilst he develops these players the expectation is he still challenges. This will be the major pressure and what he didn’t have over him at Brighton. Let’s not forget they had some very mixed results during parts of his tenure including the team being booed off a fair bit at the Amex.
He will need to be given time and the perfect working environment.
For the United fans that always complain deals to us take ages, yet opposition clubs do deals in days.
Look at this one and Gakpo, both just as long winded. We just usually don't follow the ride.
Look at this one and Gakpo, both just as long winded. We just usually don't follow the ride.
Good player but the fee is excessive
Have they been long winded though? Liverpool were linked with Gakpo for a day or so the deal was done. How long have Chelsea been linked with Enzo for? A week or so? Whilst we are rummaging around for freebies and pound shop signings, our rivals are making some seriously good signings. I think we have the right to complain a bit.
Griezmann is a very good goal scorer, the problem is that he played out position at Barca, cause he literally plays the same role as Messi.
With a fee that heavy you just known he’ll be excellent on loan for Inter next season.
I can't feel gutted at Chelsea getting this guy when they're paying such an extortionate fee. Rate him highly but this seems desperate.
If they don't quality for champions league, are they at risk of FFP sanctions? Or is that still a made up thing that is utterly, utterly pointless
If they don't quality for champions league, are they at risk of FFP sanctions? Or is that still a made up thing that is utterly, utterly pointless
Enzo has only 6 months in european football, he is still unproven at the highest level (WC isn't the highest level in terms of quality).
We all knows what Modric,Kroos, and Xaviesta did, Enzo is still unproven, and the former are the best midfielders of the 2010s decade.
And for 127 millions, he is gonna have some massive pressure to deliver top performances every game, "decent" won't be enough, especially if Chelsea miss top 4 and don't go far in the UCL.
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Won't lie, that would be slightly worrying.
my badgakpo hasn’t even played for liverpool yet.
Fernandez has been linked since the end of the world cup, and considering they’re offering a record fee (way more than benfica asked for) it’s sure not moving that quickly.
We just always like to crap on united when in reality everybody else mess around too
If the reported fee is true then anyone would be hard-pressed to argue that it's not an overpayment of (in my opinion) a substantial degree - his body of work so far is simply not large enough to command such a fee. That being said I'm happy that whoever is making the decisions at Chelsea has identified that the starting midfield needs some serious rebuilding. For the last couple of years Kanté has papered over some large cracks that become more and more apparent the longer he is unfortunately out on the sidelines. Although he wasn't the one to pick out the killer game-deciding passes or tiki-taka himself to the edge of the box, he was still serviceable at making a cross-field pass from the centre or playing a quicker vertical pass in the middle, not to mention creating space by interceptions and tackles.
Without this crutch Chelsea's midfield (counting the "pure" midfielders of Jorginho, Kovacic, Zakaria) has become perhaps the weakest out of the "bigger" teams in my opinion for a couple of reasons: they very rarely make decisive passes, they very rarely combine for quick passing, and they very rarely shoot the fecking ball. On their own they have characteristics that work within a well-functioning unit (f. ex Kovacic's linebreaking abilities, Jorginho's calmness during build-up play), but the combination of not being able to pick out passes nor be a threat from outside the box makes the team very predictable as a result. Opposing teams know this, and stay compact as a result since they know the threat from midfield is minimal, and as a direct result our attackers have to receive the ball with their backs to goal and three defenders around them, and then we call them shit when they don't create any goal scoring opportunities.
Now I won't pretend to have seen that much of Fernandez, but from what I've seen during the World Cup and in the Champions League he looks like he can pick a pass, has a decent shot, and actually has a bit of an engine to him (looking at some certain Chelsea midfielders here). Obviously this isn't worth £130m or whatever but if these qualities reflect him as a player I'd say he improves the skillset of our midfield by a significant margin, and could hopefully make the team function better than it currently is.
For me the midfield is the most important part of a team since it allows the rest of the team to function at a much higher capacity if it performs effectively, as that's where (in my humble opinion) you control games from. I hope the potential signing of Fernandez is a step in the direction of prioritising this area again (long live the Lampard/Ballack/Essien/Makelele/Mikel days) and creating a truly strong spine again.
Without this crutch Chelsea's midfield (counting the "pure" midfielders of Jorginho, Kovacic, Zakaria) has become perhaps the weakest out of the "bigger" teams in my opinion for a couple of reasons: they very rarely make decisive passes, they very rarely combine for quick passing, and they very rarely shoot the fecking ball. On their own they have characteristics that work within a well-functioning unit (f. ex Kovacic's linebreaking abilities, Jorginho's calmness during build-up play), but the combination of not being able to pick out passes nor be a threat from outside the box makes the team very predictable as a result. Opposing teams know this, and stay compact as a result since they know the threat from midfield is minimal, and as a direct result our attackers have to receive the ball with their backs to goal and three defenders around them, and then we call them shit when they don't create any goal scoring opportunities.
Now I won't pretend to have seen that much of Fernandez, but from what I've seen during the World Cup and in the Champions League he looks like he can pick a pass, has a decent shot, and actually has a bit of an engine to him (looking at some certain Chelsea midfielders here). Obviously this isn't worth £130m or whatever but if these qualities reflect him as a player I'd say he improves the skillset of our midfield by a significant margin, and could hopefully make the team function better than it currently is.
For me the midfield is the most important part of a team since it allows the rest of the team to function at a much higher capacity if it performs effectively, as that's where (in my humble opinion) you control games from. I hope the potential signing of Fernandez is a step in the direction of prioritising this area again (long live the Lampard/Ballack/Essien/Makelele/Mikel days) and creating a truly strong spine again.
Oh my sweet summer child.
That’s true, hence my primary worry being the Chelsea fanbase.
If Chelsea had him in the radar and were aggressively scouting him to fill up a planned position even before the world cup, fair play to them. If they noticed him only during the WC and are buying him because of his performances there, that's not gonna end well. Frankly, looks like another Todd The Woodward Boehly purchase. Enzo could be a great player under the right system but could also struggle to cope up with the physicality & pace of the premier league. I don't see Chelsea having that system.
e,
Anyway, yes, the people now in place are very familiar with him and he knows them as well.
Nobody has really seen our system yet … so that is hard to say in the other point. We have had the same midfield for nearly 5 years, and it’s a weird one: everyone thinks Kante is our DM… he isn’t. We play with a nearly immobile regista in Jorgihno in a weird system that only works if … you have N’golo Kante.
It is a mish mash of players that don’t fit together. But we don’t have the right players to play any other way yet.
A lanky attacking midfielder and a low energy older player Tuchel forced us to sign are our only strikers. 2 of the 3 wide attackers against NF are being openly shopped out and know they aren’t staying.
Azpilicueta knows he can’t play at PL pace anymore, but, again, Tuchel talked us into bullying him into staying.
We have an absolute Frankenstein of a roster; one we deserved for going with “player power” and popping an axe over the head of whoever our next interim manager would be.
You have to put thought and consistency into building a recognizable system. We are only just starting to do that. In the opening halves of the last two games, before Zakarias legs turn into a pumpkin, you can see the idea of how Potter wants to play in midfield, and it looked REALLY good.
But it will require patience.
The PL team that apparently scouted Enzo the most for a direct purchase from River Plate was Brighton … and the many of the people that now make up our scouting and technical staff. Apparently there were visa issues aside from Enzo just liking the Benfica offer that factored in; he hadn’t capped yet at the point they wanted to make their offer?
Anyway, yes, the people now in place are very familiar with him and he knows them as well.
Nobody has really seen our system yet … so that is hard to say in the other point. We have had the same midfield for nearly 5 years, and it’s a weird one: everyone thinks Kante is our DM… he isn’t. We play with a nearly immobile regista in Jorgihno in a weird system that only works if … you have N’golo Kante.
It is a mish mash of players that don’t fit together. But we don’t have the right players to play any other way yet.
A lanky attacking midfielder and a low energy older player Tuchel forced us to sign are our only strikers. 2 of the 3 wide attackers against NF are being openly shopped out and know they aren’t staying.
Azpilicueta knows he can’t play at PL pace anymore, but, again, Tuchel talked us into bullying him into staying.
We have an absolute Frankenstein of a roster; one we deserved for going with “player power” and popping an axe over the head of whoever our next interim manager would be.
You have to put thought and consistency into building a recognizable system. We are only just starting to do that. In the opening halves of the last two games, before Zakarias legs turn into a pumpkin, you can see the idea of how Potter wants to play in midfield, and it looked REALLY good.
But it will require patience.
Amazing talent. One of the biggest talents of this generation imo and will be great to have him in the PL. Chelsea is doing things the right way. What a huge upgrade going from donkey Lukaku to world cup winner Enzo!!
Fair. He'd be a fantastic add, discounting the 120m fee. Patience is going to be the key factor here in the rebuild. If I was Boehly, I'd write this season off & not base any decisions upon it, even if Chelsea finish outside of Europa. Potter is a builder, not a tactician & that should be set firm in his mind. Doing anything otherwise will be catastrophic to the cause.
Yeah, what a twat. Got you CL with the team that shouldn't be anywhere near it, spend few months of last season as a spokesman/face of the club in Abramovich sanction shitshow when no other person dared to face the press. And finally, he prevent you from signing Ronaldo in spite of Boehly wish for a shiny new toy to further feck up the whole team. Give me a break.
You were buying players left, right and center even before the proper structure was put in place this summer. Guess you can pray Boehly now finally fecks off a bit behind the scenes.
One is a striker one a midfielder. On top, I doubt they do things right, rather a bit chaotic
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Not all hope is lost!
I still think he will go there. How I wish we could get him
No club pays in full do they ?
The only exception is if the release clause is triggered. Otherwise, this typically isn't the case. Benfica, however, want a bulk of the €127m up front, which Chelsea aren't willing to offer, hence why the backtracking to the release clause.
Apparently Chelsea lowered their offer today.
I thought the entire sticking point was the structure of the deal. Chelsea want to pay above the release clause amount to get out of paying the entire fee up front. From what I’ve read Benfica are happy to accept such a structure but only if a huge chunk of the deal is paid up front. Enzo himself has supposedly told Benfica he wants to move to Chelsea now. If both sides are happy with the amount and the player wants Chelsea, then it seems unlikely that Chelsea will walk away because the structure of the deal isn’t exactly as they want it.
Chelsea are open to walking away if they are being forced to pay a bigger up-front amount.
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Enzo should be holding out until the summer.
Nice. let's get him in summer
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