Enzo Fernandes: Chelsea make £105.4m bid for Benfica midfielder before January deadline | Transport Center News

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Chelsea have made an offer of £105.4m for Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, which is a condition of the player’s release.

The Blues’ Todd Bohle wants to structure the release clause fee in instalments, because one payment has fair financial and tax implications.

Chelsea have been in talks to sign the World Cup winners Argentina all this month but Benfica have refused to do business unless the Blues pay €120m (£105.4m).

Chelsea offered the players on loan and permanent deals, but the Portuguese side refused to accept anything but a release clause.

Image: Fernandez helped Argentina win the World Cup last month

The midfielder has once again told Benfica that he wants to join Chelsea. If Fernandes moves to Stamford Bridge, it will surpass the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago, making him the most expensive Premier League signing ever.

The 22-year-old wants a move to Chelsea but has been training and playing since he was ruled out one game by Benfica for going on an unauthorized trip to Argentina for a New Year’s Eve party.

Fernandez, who won the 2022 World Cup Young Player of the Year award with victorious Argentina, played in the 3-0 win over Santa Clara on Saturday.

The west London side also tried to sign other midfielders this month, including Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Everton’s Amadou Onana.

Chelsea’s search for a central midfielder comes amid question marks over the long-term futures of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, whose contracts expire at the end of the season.

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Anton Toloy explains why Chelsea cannot sign players on such long-term deals, as UEFA plans to make FFP changes to player contracts.

Fernandez is waiting for a significant increase in his salary if he moves, but Benfica is trying to persuade him to sign a new contract, as he expects clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona to try to sign him in the summer.

Benfica coach: We cannot prevent Fernandez from leaving if the penalty clause is met

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Benfica manager Roger Schmidt has claimed that the club is powerless to keep Enzo Fernandez at the club if the player wants to leave and if the clubs match the release fee clause in his contract.

Speaking about Fernandez’s situation ahead of Benfica’s away match at Arouca on Tuesday night, Benfica coach Roger Schmidt said his club could not prevent the Argentine midfielder from leaving if the release clause was met.

“We all know we have a situation with Enzo that he has a clause in the contract, that means if the player wants it and there’s a club paying that amount of money, you can’t stop that,” he said.

“Of course, at this moment you have to be ready, we have to find solutions, but for now, he’s our player, no deal.

“We’ll see what happens in the next couple of days and I’m happy when the transfer window closes and we can focus fully on the players in the team and we can try to play our best season.”

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Enzo Fernandez crushes the Benfica badge after scoring in the match against Varzim, amid speculation linking him to a move to Chelsea.

Earlier this month, Schmidt criticized Chelsea’s behavior in their attempt to sign Fernandes.

“There is a club that wants him, they have tried to attract him, but they know they can only have him if they pay the condition,” he said on January 5.

“It’s disrespectful to all of us, to Benfica. They’re driving the player crazy. They pretend they want to pay the clause and then they want to negotiate.”

Gallagher is likely to exit if Fernandes joins Chelsea

Conor Gallagher is expected to have multiple options to leave Chelsea before the deadline, as Everton hold talks for the midfielder.

Clubs from across the Premier League have inquired about loans and permanent deals for the England midfielder.

Sky Sports News has been told Everton have indicated they are willing to pay £40m plus £5m in add-ons to sign him permanently.

Image: Conor Gallagher could leave Chelsea as the transfer window closes

At this point, everything is on the table: a loan, a permanent switch or staying at Chelsea, but a move away is more likely if the Blues complete a deal for Fernandes.

But Gallagher is not interested in moving to Everton. It is believed that an offer has been made, but the player has interest from several other clubs.

Newcastle and Crystal Palace are among the clubs that admire Gallagher, although Chelsea are not keen on loaning him to a rival for the league position.

If he is loaned out, he is more likely to be a team in the bottom half of the Premier League. A permanent departure is also possible and Gallagher has every reason to feel he could sign him for one of the best teams in the league.

Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will move this winter? The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday 31st January 2023.

Stay up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumors in our dedicated Transfer Hub blog on the Sky Sports digital platforms. You can also catch up on the downside and analysis on Sky Sports News.

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