Chelsea finally complete record £106m transfer for Benfica star Enzo Fernandez on HUGE eight-and-a-half year contract | The Sun
CHELSEA have sealed a British record £106million deal to sign Argentina World Cup star Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues left it late after tracking the midfielder since the start of the January window, getting their deal sheet in with minutes to spare.
The Benfica midfielder becomes the EIGHTH signing in a month for the cash-crazy Blues.
Owner Todd Boehly has now splashed more cash than any other club in a single transfer window EVER.
The deal eclipses the £100m Manchester City spent on Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish in 2021.
And it takes Chelsea’s outlay over the last two windows to a colossal £602m when add-ons and loan fees are included.
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Fernandez, 22, had a medical in Lisbon yesterday after talks stalled over the payment structure and a suggestion the Argentine player remained on loan with Benfica until the end of the season.
He has signed an EIGHT-AND-A-HALF year contract, which will run until June 2031.
Chelsea could end up paying as much as £110m with extras for a player who has scored only two goals this season.
It is reported they will shell out £40m up-front, with the rest of the whopping fee spread over five further instalments.
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Fernandez, 22, cost the Portuguese league leaders just £10m from River Plate last summer.
The Argentine side will bank a huge £26.5m from a sell-on clause, their own transfer record.
Fernandez, who was named Young Player of the Tournament at the 2022 World Cup, has been the No 1 January target for Chelsea chairman Boehly.
They first made a move early last month but the deal took so long to negotiate Chelsea since signed seven players.
Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto and loanee Joao Felix all joined in between to take Boehly’s mammoth outlay in the winter window to £325.9m including extras.
Boehly also spent a whopping £259.1m on upfront fees in the summer.
Fernandez has been desperate to join Chelsea all along and even said goodbye to Benfica team-mates yesterday morning, insisting ‘a deal will be done’.
The youngster will take the place of Jorginho in midfield after the Italian was sold to Arsenal.
Jorginho put pen to paper on an 18-month deal with the option of a further year at The Emirates after sealing a £12m move.
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