Enzo Fernández | signs for Chelsea

[carvajal]

I love him and above all he is one of those guys who is so confident that he gives you the confidence that he will be able to compete at the highest level.
I can't believe Liverpool are going to get him so easily when all the teams are probably crazy about him.

 

[Adnan]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

 

[Gordon S]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Fully agreed, they look like fantastic talents the both of them, but there are of course more good players out there that can improve our squad, for far less then these guys will cost. Rabiot might be available for a free in the summer, Zielinski is a more than decent mid and has 1,5 years left on his contract with Napoli, Bennacer as you mentioned is also a good player for a possibly low fee.

 

[Bojan Djordjic]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Doesn’t Enzo have a release clause? Maybe mistaken but I thought I saw someone mention €70mn which I would personally be more than willing to trigger because he’s such a unicorn of a player and could be a keystone of our midfield for a decade. I love Bennacer but I also think he’s very injury prone. Caicedo is great but not nearly as progressive as Fernandez.

 

[MegadrivePerson]

Pool must have some massive pockets this january....they've been linked with every 100m pound player this World Cup. So much for selling the club.

If the owners are selling the club, they could just add on new transfers to the purchase price. Realistically though I don't think the likes of Bellingham and Fernandez will move until the summer anyway.

 

[Rolaholic]

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Big clubs shat the bed with him last winter...

 

[bond19821982]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Caicedo will be 50m similar to Enzo but in general I do agree. Jude is absolutely not worth 100 + (for us ).

 

[bond19821982]

I wouldn't McAllister either. Not a bad option!

 

[JeffFromHK]

how the hell no one bought Alvarez at 19M (except Man City) and Enzo at 20M (except Benfica)

 

[IFC 1905]

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He was no comfortable yesterday, Scaloni set him to the left side to fight for the midfield. But he has been pretty good. The ball he puts for Alvarez's run is sublime. 21 years, this is 7th cap por the NT I reckon. Plays with no presure, like he knows he's as good. And he did the same when he went from Defensa y Justicia to River Plate, and from River Plate to Benfica. It's like he doesn't even care.

 

[Ali Dia]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

We should have just went for Bellingham
Haaland Caciedo Enzo and Alvarez when they were going for a combined pittance. As per over the last few years we’ve slept on great deals and took on players on huge deals with limited upside compared to the cost and wages.

 

[Powderfinger]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Good post.

I don't think there is much in it between Fernandez and Bennacer, although the latter is older. Fernandez is an excellent all around midfield prospect but the way people are talking about him is way over the top.

 

[Tarrou]

how the hell no one bought Alvarez at 19M (except Man City) and Enzo at 20M (except Benfica)

it would be a bit weird if more than one club bought them to be fair

 

[Adnan]

Doesn’t Enzo have a release clause? Maybe mistaken but I thought I saw someone mention €70mn which I would personally be more than willing to trigger because he’s such a unicorn of a player and could be a keystone of our midfield for a decade. I love Bennacer but I also think he’s very injury prone. Caicedo is great but not nearly as progressive as Fernandez.

I haven't read anything about Enzo Fernandez having a release clause. I think Benfica are going to demand a very high transfer fee for him.

I agree regarding Bennacer, and he does pick up injuries too frequently for my liking. But I think he might be a risk worth taking due to a potentially reduced transfer fee because of his contract situation with Milan.

Caicedo is a different player to Enzo Fernandez in a lot of ways. He's defensively much stronger at defending large spaces and is very quick and agile which make him very hard to dribble past in the EPL. But he's also capable on the ball and can also operate as a #8, next to a positionally disciplined midfielder, aswell as operating as the positionally disciplined midfielder himself. And a player like him is very much needed in imo, because a injury to Casemiro could really derail us and upset the midfield balance.

The progressive options in midfield would be those players who are expected to play as the #6 in the first phase of the build up and the #8, while progressing the ball through the middle and attacking thirds. And that player will likely play next to a Casemiro or Caicedo and be expected to knit it all together and connect defense to attack.

I personally hope we stay away from attempting to sign players who are being valued at ridiculously high prices. Because history has shown that there's always young up and coming players who we the fans don't know about, who will go on to be just as good as the more overpriced player. So I personally hope we stay away from the likes of Enzo Fernandez/Jude Bellingham and focus on signing players who are are on the cusp of being 'that player', whilst also having a plan on developing the talented young midfielders already at the club.

Enzo Fernandez himself was loaned out for two seasons by River Plate to help him develop his game.

 

[Adnan]

We should have just went for Bellingham
Haaland Caciedo Enzo and Alvarez when they were going for a combined pittance. As per over the last few years we’ve slept on great deals and took on players on huge deals with limited upside compared to the cost and wages.

We did go for Bellingham but his father reportedly preferred the Dortmund option who offered him first team assurances and a very good wage. We also went for Haaland but he chose the development route and jumped from one developmental club to another.

Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez were Jose Mayorga recommendations from what I've read. And Caicedo in particular was a bad one to miss out on, but that was down to Woodward and Matt Judge who was the director of transfer negotiations at the time.

The problem hasn't been the scouts but rather the disconnect between the first team managers (Mourinho & Ole) and the scouting department. We allowed the first team managers to operate for far too long whilst utilising their own independent scouts.

 

[Lash]

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He was no comfortable yesterday, Scaloni set him to the left side to fight for the midfield. But he has been pretty good. The ball he puts for Alvarez's run is sublime. 21 years, this is 7th cap por the NT I reckon. Plays with no presure, like he knows he's as good. And he did the same when he went from Defensa y Justicia to River Plate, and from River Plate to Benfica. It's like he doesn't even care.

you've changed your tune about his performance yesterday.

He was clearly not at his best yesterday, but I imagine he's knackered and also had a pen miss to deal with. He still managed to perform pretty well though, all things considered. He's not a 100m player though, not in a million years.

 

[Champ]

I haven't read anything about Enzo Fernandez having a release clause. I think Benfica are going to demand a very high transfer fee for him.

I agree regarding Bennacer, and he does pick up injuries too frequently for my liking. But I think he might be a risk worth taking due to a potentially reduced transfer fee because of his contract situation with Milan.

Caicedo is a different player to Enzo Fernandez in a lot of ways. He's defensively much stronger at defending large spaces and is very quick and agile which make him very hard to dribble past in the EPL. But he's also capable on the ball and can also operate as a #8, next to a positionally disciplined midfielder, aswell as operating as the positionally disciplined midfielder himself. And a player like him is very much needed in imo, because a injury to Casemiro could really derail us and upset the midfield balance.

The progressive options in midfield would be those players who are expected to play as the #6 in the first phase of the build up and the #8, while progressing the ball through the middle and attacking thirds. And that player will likely play next to a Casemiro or Caicedo and be expected to knit it all together and connect defense to attack.

I personally hope we stay away from attempting to sign players who are being valued at ridiculously high prices. Because history has shown that there's always young up and coming players who we the fans don't know about, who will go on to be just as good as the more overpriced player. So I personally hope we stay away from the likes of Enzo Fernandez/Jude Bellingham and focus on signing players who are are on the cusp of being 'that player', whilst also having a plan on developing the talented young midfielders already at the club.

Enzo Fernandez himself was loaned out for two seasons by River Plate to help him develop his game.

Enzo Fernandez apparently has a 120million Euro release clause.

Benfica nearly always implement release clauses so would be strange for him not to have one.

Can't imagine anyone would trigger a clause that hefty for him.
I'm with you on the trying to sign these players before they reach the stage of ridiculous prices, certainly a marquee signing a season is fine, but we need to supplement them with signings of hungry up and coming scouted talent.
Not always easy to do, but it can be done.

 

[IFC 1905]

you've changed your tune about his performance yesterday.

He was clearly not at his best yesterday, but I imagine he's knackered and also had a pen miss to deal with. He still managed to perform pretty well though, all things considered. He's not a 100m player though, not in a million years.

How come not? He is. Are you basing that on his WC performance or you're also adding his amazing season with Benfica at both League and CL?

 

[mav_9me]

How come not? He is. Are you basing that on his WC performance or you're also adding his amazing season with Benfica at both League and CL?

I am desperate for us to sign him but 100m is not a price for a CM. Granted Tchouameni and Pogba were expensive but we overpaid for pogba for sure. Tchouameni too I am surprised, esp for a DM.

 

[Lash]

How come not? He is. Are you basing that on his WC performance or you're also adding his amazing season with Benfica at both League and CL?

100m is absurd for pretty much anyone. It's not really about him. When you think of how much they only just paid for him, there's no chance there's not better value out there.

 

[jesperjaap]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Though I agree we shouldnt sign players at any cost, I still think we should be looking to sign the best players. We spent £50m on a 30year old central midfielder and that looks a shrewd signing at the moment.

I think we should be lookign to sign the best players, regardless of the fees or hype. Cant comment on Bennacer as not seen him bar hs brief appearances for Arsenal.

I do really like Caeicedo and I do think Enzo Fernandez and Bellingham are both a level above and offer more all round especially in a partnershpi with Casemeiro even though the hype and fees are both lookign OTT.

The real shame is our failure to get Bellingham originally and the fact that despite links we didnt pull a trigger on suh a tiny fee for Enzo Fernandez in the summer.

Different players but for me bar Gavi/Pedri I really think alongside DeJong (who dont want anyway from his reluctance to move) I think Fernandez is the perfect signing to com einto this side under Ten Hag personally.

I really like Hannibal and Mainoo looks a very promising player, but I do think considering youth players over transfers is a tad folly. It seems like several years there have been "We have Garner, we have Laird, we Have Gomez" for example comign through anyway.....two arent even at the club anymore and Laird doesnt look like making it either...I think there is room for all of them anyway personally. Fred should go when his contract ends, Van de Beek should never have been signed in the first place and McTominay is for me just a squad player, doesnt leave much

 

[Ekeke]

I wouldn't McAllister either. Not a bad option!

I think he's been better this tournament, but not by a distance and is a few years older. I'd happily take either of them at whoever gives the most reasonable price, Brighton or Benfica

 

[sport2793]

Why is everyone raving about this lad? He's decent but haven't seen anything exceptional from him so far, like the look of Mac Allister a bit more to be fair but even he isn't worth 100 million.

 

[Ekeke]

Why is everyone raving about this lad? He's decent but haven't seen anything exceptional from him so far, like the look of Mac Allister a bit more to be fair but even he isn't worth 100 million.

Neither of them are. Thats a huge amount of money.

However the escalation of Enzo Fernandes is very impressive. A year ago he was just becoming a starting player for River Plate. Now he's becoming a starting player for a world cup finalist team at the age of 21 after playing half a season for Benfica. If he continues to improve anywhere near that rate he'll be one of the better CMs around in a few years

 

[the_cliff]

I don't believe United should try and sign Enzo Fernandez or Bellingham at all costs, like some have insinuated. I think the sensible approach for us would be to walk away from either deal and look at alternative midfield players who would fit into the approach ten Hag is trying to implement, and would also be better value for money signings.

I think if Liverpool end up signing Enzo and Bellingham and we end up signing Caicedo and Bennacer ( not renewed his contract), then I'd be more than happy with that. We've also got the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo coming through the ranks who could turn out to be first team players for us.

Caicedo is a player who can play both as the sole DM or in a midfield two, and that on its own would provide great tactical flexibility for ten Hag. And Bennacer with his contract running down, may well turn out to be a very shrewd signing and he looks very capable of playing the conductor role in the first phase of the build up. And along with his ability to thread the lines, he also has the ability to evade the opponent's press really well by carrying the ball throught to middle and attacking thirds of the pitch, and is defensively good.

Totally agree with your point, I'd be happy with smart signings such as the 2 you mentioned, like Bennacer, Rabiot is also available on a free in the summer. Andre Trindade is another one we're hopefully keeping an eye on.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

I wouldn't go anywhere near 100m.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Why is everyone raving about this lad? He's decent but haven't seen anything exceptional from him so far, like the look of Mac Allister a bit more to be fair but even he isn't worth 100 million.

He looks really good for a 21 year old. There's a composure and time on the ball which I like and can see developing well. Of course 100 million is too much

 

[bond19821982]

Tchouameni went for 80m . Enzo has similar performances this year and is having a great world cup and CL.

So don't expect anything less.

 

[Okey]

Player valuations have totally leapt beyond the realms of rationality. The way 100m is bandied around these days, it's hard to know who's worth what. A few decent performances and suddenly a player costs the earth. I would rather find the reasonably priced gems that are out there (especially midfielders) than jump on the splurging bandwagon.

 

[Ekeke]

Player valuations have totally leapt beyond the realms of rationality. The way 100m is bandied around these days, it's hard to know who's worth what. A few decent performances and suddenly a player costs the earth. I would rather find the reasonably priced gems that are out there (especially midfielders) than jump on the splurging bandwagon.

Its a fee thats been mentioned in the press for sought after players for like 5 years now though. Its not new and despite that only a handful of players have been transfered for that amount and most of the time the player is relatively proven when they are.

Benfica would bite your hand off for £70 million for him and getting more than for Nunez

 

[NoPace]

Why is everyone raving about this lad? He's decent but haven't seen anything exceptional from him so far, like the look of Mac Allister a bit more to be fair but even he isn't worth 100 million.

Better dribbler than Mac Allister, bit more physical upside and 2 years younger. I'd say Mac Allister is a 45M player and he's like a 70M one. They're starting in a World Cup final at young ages, not a ton of those players out there, and it's not like they're the weak links on the team (fullback and LW are, which is part of why Scaloni didn't even play one last game).

 

[Adnan]

Though I agree we shouldnt sign players at any cost, I still think we should be looking to sign the best players. We spent £50m on a 30year old central midfielder and that looks a shrewd signing at the moment.

I think we should be lookign to sign the best players, regardless of the fees or hype. Cant comment on Bennacer as not seen him bar hs brief appearances for Arsenal.

I do really like Caeicedo and I do think Enzo Fernandez and Bellingham are both a level above and offer more all round especially in a partnershpi with Casemeiro even though the hype and fees are both lookign OTT.

The real shame is our failure to get Bellingham originally and the fact that despite links we didnt pull a trigger on suh a tiny fee for Enzo Fernandez in the summer.

Different players but for me bar Gavi/Pedri I really think alongside DeJong (who dont want anyway from his reluctance to move) I think Fernandez is the perfect signing to com einto this side under Ten Hag personally.

I really like Hannibal and Mainoo looks a very promising player, but I do think considering youth players over transfers is a tad folly. It seems like several years there have been "We have Garner, we have Laird, we Have Gomez" for example comign through anyway.....two arent even at the club anymore and Laird doesnt look like making it either...I think there is room for all of them anyway personally. Fred should go when his contract ends, Van de Beek should never have been signed in the first place and McTominay is for me just a squad player, doesnt leave much

I'm not saying we should compromise on quality but rather I would like to see us adopt a strategy in the market where we show restraint and discipline when choosing who to buy, when to buy and for how much. A year ago not many had even heard of Enzo Fernandez, and today he's a 'must buy' player for some people. I think we should be careful and pivot away from certain hyped up players and look to sign said players, before the hype takes hold and their market value explodes.

Liverpool and City are two good examples under their current managers where they've shown restraint and discipline in the transfer market, where they've signed players for reasonable sums after refusing to be drawn into auctions whilst attempting to sign their primary targets (City). And Liverpool first created the foundations by signing the likes of Wijnaldum and Robertson etc for reasonable sums before getting to a stage where they could add the final touches and then pushed the boat out for the likes of Van Dijk and Allison. Wijnaldum for example turned out to be a much better player in the EPL compared to Pogba who we broke the world transfer record for. And Liverpool didn't compromise on quality when they signed Wijnaldum, but rather they bought a player who was a tactical fit for the high pressure/high intensity game style they wanted to implement under Jurgen Klopp. And they did that by paying a reasonable fee to a relegated Newcastle United.

I haven't considered the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo over the more established players, hence I mentioned Caicedo and Bennacer as potential signings. But it's not about what us the fans think but rather what the first team head coach and the football director decide together on how they plan ahead with the talented youth at the club. Garnacho for example wasn't considered the biggest talent at youth level by many but he's a first team player right now. So it's important for the footballing hierachy to be decisive in their decision making like they've shown with Garner's sale and Garnacho's inclusion in the first team. But I don't believe it's easy for them to operate under the current owners.

Caicedo is a different profile of player to Enzo Fernandez. They would be compatible playing together, with Caicedo having strong defensive skills, where his speed, athleticism and anticipation would enable him to manage and contain large spaces in a high defensive line, which would allow the midfield conduit to play with a bit more freedom and knit it all together in a connector/conductor role. The most important thing is to get the midfield composition correct, which would then allow the positional play principles to potentially thrive.

Everyone attacks and everyone defends. But the composition of the midfield should ideally be one where you have one midfielder who is the holding midfielder, the second one who is the #6/#8 and the AM who has the ability to play both as the #8 and #10. And all three central players should provide a technical security in possession if the plan is to exert, zonal and positional control which would allow ten Hag's vision to take shape on the pitch. And Enzo Fernandez is just one of a number of players who fits into the connector role, but I think it won't be the end of the world if we end up signing someone who is a little less proven but has similar potential for considerably less than what Benfica will likely demand for Fernandez.

 

[Santoryo]

Why is everyone raving about this lad? He's decent but haven't seen anything exceptional from him so far, like the look of Mac Allister a bit more to be fair but even he isn't worth 100 million.

The Caf is fecking odd. People rave at the most average players out there for some odd reasons. How could anyone after watching that Croatia performance be high on any of Argentina midfielders. Any slight bit of pressure and they lose all composure, such guys won't handle the fast pace of the PL with even bottom teams pressing all the time.

Watching that Croatia game, the Argentina midfielders made Fred look elite in comparison. Hopefully they have a better time against France and should since Croatia midfield is better therefore would give any team a lot of trouble in the middle of the park.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He's a good player but not 100m level.

The hype will settle down and he will probably be sold in the summer for 60ish which is more realistic.

 

[zaafi]

The Caf is fecking odd. People rave at the most average players out there for some odd reasons. How could anyone after watching that Croatia performance be high on any of Argentina midfielders. Any slight bit of pressure and they lose all composure, such guys won't handle the fast pace of the PL with even bottom teams pressing all the time.

Watching that Croatia game, the Argentina midfielders made Fred look elite in comparison. Hopefully they have a better time against France and should since Croatia midfield is better therefore would give any team a lot of trouble in the middle of the park.

Croatia's midfield is so good they lost 3-0.

In all seriousness, he's 21 year old and doesn't seem bothered by his opponents so it seems he's got a great mentality to go along with his skills. He's been really good this season for Benfica and if you look up his stats you'll know why he's highly rated. Not £100 million like his release clause, but he's far from average like you said.

 

[Luka Mora]

It's a real shame we didn't poach him last january from River Plate when Ralf rangnick had him as a target. Would have saved us millions. He went to benfica for 10 million which is peanuts.

 

[jesperjaap]

I'm not saying we should compromise on quality but rather I would like to see us adopt a strategy in the market where we show restraint and discipline when choosing who to buy, when to buy and for how much. A year ago not many had even heard of Enzo Fernandez, and today he's a 'must buy' player for some people. I think we should be careful and pivot away from certain hyped up players and look to sign said players, before the hype takes hold and their market value explodes.

Liverpool and City are two good examples under their current managers where they've shown restraint and discipline in the transfer market, where they've signed players for reasonable sums after refusing to be drawn into auctions whilst attempting to sign their primary targets (City). And Liverpool first created the foundations by signing the likes of Wijnaldum and Robertson etc for reasonable sums before getting to a stage where they could add the final touches and then pushed the boat out for the likes of Van Dijk and Allison. Wijnaldum for example turned out to be a much better player in the EPL compared to Pogba who we broke the world transfer record for. And Liverpool didn't compromise on quality when they signed Wijnaldum, but rather they bought a player who was a tactical fit for the high pressure/high intensity game style they wanted to implement under Jurgen Klopp. And they did that by paying a reasonable fee to a relegated Newcastle United.

I haven't considered the likes of Hannibal and Mainoo over the more established players, hence I mentioned Caicedo and Bennacer as potential signings. But it's not about what us the fans think but rather what the first team head coach and the football director decide together on how they plan ahead with the talented youth at the club. Garnacho for example wasn't considered the biggest talent at youth level by many but he's a first team player right now. So it's important for the footballing hierachy to be decisive in their decision making like they've shown with Garner's sale and Garnacho's inclusion in the first team. But I don't believe it's easy for them to operate under the current owners.

Caicedo is a different profile of player to Enzo Fernandez. They would be compatible playing together, with Caicedo having strong defensive skills, where his speed, athleticism and anticipation would enable him to manage and contain large spaces in a high defensive line, which would allow the midfield conduit to play with a bit more freedom and knit it all together in a connector/conductor role. The most important thing is to get the midfield composition correct, which would then allow the positional play principles to potentially thrive.

Everyone attacks and everyone defends. But the composition of the midfield should ideally be one where you have one midfielder who is the holding midfielder, the second one who is the #6/#8 and the AM who has the ability to play both as the #8 and #10. And all three central players should provide a technical security in possession if the plan is to exert, zonal and positional control which would allow ten Hag's vision to take shape on the pitch. And Enzo Fernandez is just one of a number of players who fits into the connector role, but I think it won't be the end of the world if we end up signing someone who is a little less proven but has similar potential for considerably less than what Benfica will likely demand for Fernandez.

Agree with the hype sentiment fully, but what with a takeover, I dont see that happening.

I jsut really do think with Fernandez, there is a really special player. Like him in summer youtube videos when he was linked and had never heard of him before then.

ALl I read about him looked good though, the few times I have caught him for Benfica he has looked a superb playmaker and now for Argentina we are seeing adisciplined, mature defensive mildfield lynchpinm the balance he has bought into that midfield has been pivotal I feel in them improving in the tournament.

I just feel he looks a really special palyer with everything you want in a midfielder....admittedly, this is without seeing him mroe than a handful of times

 

[Santoryo]

Croatia's midfield is so good they lost 3-0.

In all seriousness, he's 21 year old and doesn't seem bothered by his opponents so it seems he's got a great mentality to go along with his skills. He's been really good this season for Benfica and if you look up his stats you'll know why he's highly rated. Not £100 million like his release clause, but he's far from average like you said.

Croatia midfield is good at controlling games in midfield. They keep the ball well and move it nicely. The problem with them was that they were toothless and had nothing going forward.

 

[Adnan]

Agree with the hype sentiment fully, but what with a takeover, I dont see that happening.

I jsut really do think with Fernandez, there is a really special player. Like him in summer youtube videos when he was linked and had never heard of him before then.

ALl I read about him looked good though, the few times I have caught him for Benfica he has looked a superb playmaker and now for Argentina we are seeing adisciplined, mature defensive mildfield lynchpinm the balance he has bought into that midfield has been pivotal I feel in them improving in the tournament.

I just feel he looks a really special palyer with everything you want in a midfielder....admittedly, this is without seeing him mroe than a handful of times

I agree mate.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Agree with the hype sentiment fully, but what with a takeover, I dont see that happening.

I jsut really do think with Fernandez, there is a really special player. Like him in summer youtube videos when he was linked and had never heard of him before then.

ALl I read about him looked good though, the few times I have caught him for Benfica he has looked a superb playmaker and now for Argentina we are seeing adisciplined, mature defensive mildfield lynchpinm the balance he has bought into that midfield has been pivotal I feel in them improving in the tournament.

I just feel he looks a really special palyer with everything you want in a midfielder....admittedly, this is without seeing him mroe than a handful of times

Really like the look of him. I'll admit that's based on a small sample size. But for a player of his age its impressive how he has time on the ball and is able to take a second to scan things and decide what to do. It's quite Alonso/ Busquets/ Carrick esque even if he may not reach those levels. That tells me that aside form his long shot or creative passing he had that instinct of a playmaker.

And I've dying for us to sign a Cm playmaker for ages. Maybe we can't afford him and maybe the sample size is small. But I really like what I've seen. Hope we are interested and get him over Liverpool