Chelsea ‘expect’ to finalize Enzo Fernández transfer this week as talks with Benfica resume — reports

The January transfer window is open and Chelsea are working hard to truly splash the cash in winter for the first time in a decade (since 2011 and Fernando Torres), but just six months after spending a quarter billion in the last window. That expenditure has not translated to results just yet, but it does certainly show the new owners’ commitment (if not necessarily wise choices all the time).

We already have one new signing in the bag (David Datro Fofana) and another two imminent (Benoît Badiashile and Andrey Santos), but the one that would certainly get everyone’s attention is if we were to beat all others to the punch with Enzo Fernández. The 21-year-old World Cup star looks set to leave Benfica, either this month or in the summer, and we’re working to ensure it’s the former.

Personal terms appear to have been agreed last week already, and despite Benfica’s protestations and official statements, it sounds like they may be willing to negotiate a transfer after all. That’s the word out of Argentina, with Chelsea ringing in the new year with a fresh round of talks for a deal of “around €120m” — avoiding the actual buyout clause and even agreeing an installment plan. TyC Sports’ César Luis Menlo reports that we “expect to be able to finalize” the transfer this week, while his colleague Gastón Edul claims that the timeline might be even shorter than that. Hold tight I guess!

As with any transfer rumor dealing in timelines, take all this with a few grains of salt. But we’re definitely trying, so we’ve got that going for us!