Enzo Fernández | signs for Chelsea

[Powderfinger]

They also have the best academy by a mile.

They sold Abraham, Tomori, Zouma and Guehi for £120m last summer and they could easily raise another £100m+ selling Gallagher, Broja, Colwill and Hudson-Odoi.

They also have a ton of England youth internationals they will be able to sell in the next few years.

They had the best academy for a long time due to Roman’s farsighted and huge early investments in that area. Other clubs have now caught up by making the same kinds of investments. It’s just that there is a big lag because a 22-year-old today probably made a choice about which academy to join around 2008-2012. But those golden years when Chelsea scooped up all the best young talent in southern England are long gone.

 

[SinNombre]

They also have the best academy by a mile.

They sold Abraham, Tomori, Zouma and Guehi for £120m last summer and they could easily raise another £100m+ selling Gallagher, Broja, Colwill and Hudson-Odoi.

They also have a ton of England youth internationals they will be able to sell in the next few years.

They used to be the best academy between 2014-18. They are just another top-6 academy at this point.

And they did not raise any money last summer. That was the 2021 summer when they were still reaping from being the best academy in England.

 

[SinNombre]

They had the best academy for a long time due to Roman’s farsighted and huge early investments in that area. Other clubs have now caught up by making the same kinds of investments. It’s just that there is a big lag because a 22-year-old today probably made a choice about which academy to join around 2008-2012. But those golden years when Chelsea scooped up all the best young talent in southern England are long gone.

Exactly this.

And this has been repeated multiple times on this thread.

 

[SinNombre]

No doubt caciedo or rice will join in the summer, to be the foil for enzo. Both will cost alot of money.

Buying Rice, on top of paying for Nkunku will mean very little left for transfers for a few years.

 

[Bluelion7]

Their spending is spending from the future, a bit like Barca.

FFP is going to muzzle them unless they can sell players for more than book value.

No… it’s really not. Barca have to sell things as (levers) to create additional funds on paper … but that’s for La Liga regulations, not FFP.

FFP is designed to keep clubs from bankrupting themselves. It isn’t really designed to prevent people from spending money they actually have. There are too many creative ways to invent revenue streams, or shift things around. It’s when you spend money you don’t have and try to hide debt you get busted.

But to be clear, FFP completely resets next year. It will go to a completely different format. It would be more accurate to say Chelsea is spending backwards … to use every free penny of space possible.

 

[SinNombre]

You are owned by Americans including private equity - there is no way to invent revenues or cook accounting books. Financial crime is looked very differently in the US.

You can think otherwise but that’s pure fantasy.

And FFP is not getting reset, new rules are coming in which are more stringent.

 

[1905]

Worth a watch. Interesting analysis that chelsea would be better spending their money on a replacement for Kante rather than enzo who is a longer term replacement for jorginho.

Also enzo needs a disciplined DM next to him to do the hard yards and keep tactical shape, while enzo goes and does his thing.

Don't these two things contradict eachother? I was under the impression that Enzo is a B2B midfielder who was shoehorned into a deeper role for Argentina due to lack of options. That would mean he would be the long term Kante replacement, not Jorginho who plays deeper.

 

[Dancfc]

Don't these two things contradict eachother? I was under the impression that Enzo is a B2B midfielder who was shoehorned into a deeper role for Argentina due to lack of options. That would mean he would be the long term Kante replacement, not Jorginho who plays deeper.

He can do both at an extremely high level. Let’s talk about the WC final as an example.

For the 90 minutes of regular time, Enzo played as the #6, or holding midfielder. Argentina dominated France in midfield up until that brainless foul from Otamendi. France started to find some momentum and began extra time on the front foot.

Scaloni then took off De Paul for Paredes. He made Paredes the sitting midfielder and instructed Enzo to go forward as a box to box. Argentina then created multiple opportunities and found their 3rd goal through a fantastic weighted pass from Enzo to Lautaro.

This lad is so technically gifted he can play in every third of the pitch. Touch wood he doesn’t sustain any horrid injury.

 

[Bluelion7]

You are owned by Americans including private equity - there is no way to invent revenues or cook accounting books. Financial crime is looked very differently in the US.

You can think otherwise but that’s pure fantasy.

And FFP is not getting reset, new rules are coming in which are more stringent.

That so? I’ll just say there are perfectly legal ways to share and move revenue around. FFP isn’t a law. Cooking the books involves moving around money to make it look like you have more than you do. That isn’t what the big spenders are doing though. All they need to do is find creative ways to put actual, real money they have into their team.

And FFP is absolutely getting reset. The more stringent rules you mention will be year to year, not a rolling average and hence the ability to reach back in time, because the rolling average ends and doesn’t carry over to next year.

Now you can send some of that payment structure forward. But much less than you would think, and probably less than most teams are carrying. This year, along with the conditions and allowances due to our sale, along with the “FFP leeway” given to teams coming off Covid, made this year unique, especially for us.

 

[Bluelion7]

Don't these two things contradict eachother? I was under the impression that Enzo is a B2B midfielder who was shoehorned into a deeper role for Argentina due to lack of options. That would mean he would be the long term Kante replacement, not Jorginho who plays deeper.

Most people that don’t watch us regularly think Kante is our deepest mid.

It isa structure that only works with the uniqueness of Kante though, so when Jorgihno is left there in the 6 with RLC or Gallagher for cover …. We get murdered.

Deepest mid replacement in Summer

 

[devil99]

They could have got both Caicedo and Mac Allister for less money who will need no time to adapt to GP

 

[ayushreddevil9]

Most people that don’t watch us regularly think Kante is our deepest mid.

It id a structure that only works with the uniqueness of Jante though, so when Jorgihno is left there in the 6 with RLC or Gallagher for cover …. We get murdered.

Deepest mid replacement in Summer

Not sure why you guys didn't go for Casemiro. Probably will end up breaking the bank for Declan Rice.

 

[Bluelion7]

Not sure why you guys didn't go for Casemiro. Probably will end up breaking the bank for Declan Rice.

Religion said Casemiro specifically targeted United as his next destination, and Madrid tried to keep him. Not sure we even knew he was for sale. Stellar for United. Would have loved him at Chelsea

 

[croadyman]

Religion said Casemiro specifically targeted United as his next destination, and Madrid tried to keep him. Not sure we even knew he was for sale. Stellar for United. Would have loved him at Chelsea

Look forward to seeing the difference he makes against City & Arsenal,however fair play on doing a deal for this guy. We still lack that guy to progress it through midfield

 

[bosnian_red]

I would say there was a very big chance he sounded out his international midfield teammate for a bit of information on that score.

That's true!

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

It’s abit like big players moving to United over the years. Big club but in all honesty. Chelsea are going to need a good 5 years to fix. So big gamble for him.

They have spent half a billion in 6 months. More than any club in history in such a short time. It is definitely not going to take 5 years to fix with such level of spending.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

That is insane. This current transfer market surely is not sustainable.

We have been saying that since Roman. And we haven't even seen Newcastle flex their muscle yet. It is only going to go more loco.

 

[croadyman]

Pity we overspent and couldn't get involved

 

[Escobar]

Chelsea is in the CL. Next year, who knows. Hopefully they are not.

Thats what I meant, most likely they are not

 

[Escobar]

Chelsea are in the CL.

Also, we've seen with Casemiro that "the project" (and a bit of money) counts for a lot more than the current league position.

Was not meant as a dig, more as so many told United they would rather not join if no CL. Hence it became a thing for some fans and players

 

[Mainoldo]

They have spent half a billion in 6 months. More than any club in history in such a short time. It is definitely not going to take 5 years to fix with such level of spending.

This isn’t La Liga. Believe me it’s not going to be a quick fix. There already wasting money.

 

[Pronewbie]

We have been saying that since Roman. And we haven't even seen Newcastle flex their muscle yet. It is only going to go more loco.

With all due respect, it's comments like this that convince me that the bubble is going to burst. The economic indicators especially for Europe, as I've been mentioning since early last year, do not support the current trajectory. At least in real terms. The risk of wild stagflation continues to grow.

 

[Cassidy]

This is so bloody disappointing

 

[Judas]

It's disappointing, but on the other hand I don't expect any other club in the world do to make this signing other than Chelsea. Even City are more sensible with their money.

 

[Castia]

Only got 100 club games to his name and went last summer for around 12m…what could go wrong.

They’ve made over 100m profit in a matter of months….absolutely mental.

 

[Red Star One]

Only got 100 club games to his name and went last summer for around 12m…what could go wrong.

They’ve made over 100m profit in a matter of months….absolutely mental.

Benfica made much less of a profit, Enzo had a clause giving 25% of transfer profit to River Plate.
His initial transfer fee from Argentina to Europe was also very much deflated due to economic mayhem in Argentina.
Chelsea pays top dollar here, but it’s not as insane as it might look.

 

[Adisa]

Jesus Christ! Every club will be demanding £100m for their players soon.
The current transfer system is not sustainable.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Benfica made much less of a profit, Enzo had a clause giving 25% of transfer profit to River Plate.
His initial transfer fee from Argentina to Europe was also very much deflated due to economic mayhem in Argentina.
Chelsea pays top dollar here, but it’s not as insane as it might look.

Yeah... it definitely is.

He better hit the ground running quickly, as a British record the knives will be out quickly if he doesn't.

 

[Castia]

Benfica made much less of a profit, Enzo had a clause giving 25% of transfer profit to River Plate.
His initial transfer fee from Argentina to Europe was also very much deflated due to economic mayhem in Argentina.
Chelsea pays top dollar here, but it’s not as insane as it might look.

The fee still went up 100m in less than 6 months no matter who is taking the profits. He will be the most expensive player in PL history based on a few months of form it’s mental.

Its a complete panic transfer

 

[Adam-Utd]

Jesus Christ! Every club will be demanding £100m for their players soon.
The current transfer system is not sustainable.

It hasn't been for a while.

Soon more and more players will start running their contracts down to 0 as it'll be the only way to actually leave a club.

Players are better doing that and getting a bigger signing on bonus anyway. Clubs will soon realise it's better to sell and regain some value than going for free.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Our rivals keep bagging the future midfield stars ahead of us. It's been happening for absolute ages.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

So it's shaping up as:

Enzo - Chelsea
Bellingham - Madrid
Caicedo - Liverpool
???? - United

Back to De Jong?

He was mediocre at the WC. Really didn't like what I saw of him.

 

[VP89]

He was mediocre at the WC. Really didn't like what I saw of him.

He doesn't suit a 3 at the back system to be fair. Ten Hag knows how to use him. Worth noting Enzo might carry a similar system risk when going to Chelsea.
ETH's familiarity with De Jong is a lot more comforting than other targets.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

This is so bloody disappointing

Yeah he looks such a good talent. Hopefully we are overeating him and he's not all that !

 

[amolbhatia50k]

He doesn't suit a 3 at the back system to be fair. Ten Hag knows how to use him.

Doesn't seem to suit Barca either

 

[VP89]

Doesn't seem to suit Barca either

Where he's also played out of position or out of favour.

 

[Fiocca]

Yeah he looks such a good talent. Hopefully we are overeating him and he's not all that !

Yeah, hopefully he tastes like a month old opened packet of crisps.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Where he's also played out of position or out of favour.

Worrying really

 

[VP89]

Worrying really

Is it? He's being overlooked by academy players (who are also superb).

 

[saivet]

Interested to see how he does. I've not paid close enough attention to him particularly at Benfica or with Argentina at the WC to know if he's all that good. From what I've heard and little I've seen he seems to be a good player but personally the fee seems crazy considering he was signed on the cheap only 6 months ago. I don't know, just the idea of forking out £100m+ on a midfield player just seems absurd, even if they turn out to be great.