Chelsea offer ‘in excess of’ €127m to Benfica for Enzo Fernández — reports

Enzo Fernández went to the World Cup in Qatar a relative unknown. He left with not only the World Cup trophy, but with the Young Player Award as well. And now, he’s got all of Europe’s moneyed clubs lining up at his door, ready to whisk him away from Benfica for untold millions.

The history of the World Cup is littered with such breakout performances, and while they don’t exactly guarantee a lifetime of success, Enzo’s certainly in great company with the young player award. Previous winners include Kylian Mbappé (2018), Paul Pogba (2014), Thomas Müller (2010), and Lukas Podolski (2006) — with the likes of Michael Owen, Franz Beckenbauer, Albert Flórián, and some teenager named Pelé (sending well wishes to the legend!) later retroactively honored as well (with a theoretical vote in full hindsight).

Photo by Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Just the fact that Fernández, who won’t be turning 22 for a few more weeks, managed to shine so bright next to Lionel Messi in Argentina’s long-awaited triumph speaks volumes ... and speaking of volume BAH GAWD IS THAT TODD BOEHLY’S MUSIC!?

According to multiple reports, including just about every paper in Portugal and every ITK on Twitter, Chelsea have not only jumped into the race for Enzo (surely there is a Ferrari joke in here somewhere), we’ve jumped in with both feet on the go pedal (sorry not sorry Liverpool, Manchester United, etc), while blasting Act A Fool out the window. More speakers in the trunk than my ride can handle! Classic.

Duncan “Proto-Fabrizio” Castles reports along the same lines in the Daily Record, claiming that Chelsea are ready to break Benfica’s outgoing transfer record (€127m for João Félix, incidentally also linked with Chelsea these days) and that an offer “in excess of” that has already been proposed. We are hoping to get this done “immediately” while Benfica are hoping to convince Enzo to stay through the end of the season. (They’re already making an absolute killing in terms of profit, having paid just €10+8m six months ago to get him from River Plate.) Enzo himself is just trying to focus on football of course.

“I don’t know anything about that. It’s up to my agent, I don’t want to get involved. I’m focused on Benfica, in a few days we have an important game.”

-Enzo Fernández; source: Globo

We’re gonna need more popcorn!