Enzo Fernández has been a bright spark in a shocking run for Chelsea
The World Cup turned Enzo Fernández into a global superstar. The midfielder was highly regarded in Argentina after breaking through at River Plate and his standing had grown during his brief spell with Benfica. However, it was in Qatar where he truly rose to prominence. Lionel Scaloni used Fernández from the bench in Argentina’s first two games, but his goal against Mexico convinced the manager to start the young midfielder for the remainder of the tournament. They did not look back.
Argentina went on to lift the World Cup and Fernández cemented his reputation as one of the best in his position in the game, winning the tournament’s Young Player award – an honour previously bestowed on Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Thomas Müller and Kylian Mbappé among others. A star had been born.
Europe’s richest clubs circled but it was Chelsea who bowed to Benfica’s demands to pay his release clause in full, landing the midfielder on deadline day for £106.8m. Not only was it a British transfer record but it was a hefty fee to pay for a 22-year-old who had never appeared in one of Europe’s top five leagues and had cost Benfica £8m just seven months earlier.
Chelsea splurged in the January transfer window, spending nearly £300m on Fernández, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana, as well as bringing in João Félix on loan from Atlético Madrid until the end of the season. The sums were huge, with Chelsea spending more than all of the clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 put together. As the poster boy for this new Chelsea era, Fernández was under immediate pressure to succeed.
Despite their spending, Chelsea are still short of a goalscorer. They have a negative goal difference this season in the league, having scored just 23 goals in their 24 games. To put that in context, Tottenham have scored twice as many goals and they are not exactly enjoying their best ever season. Even Leeds, who are hovering above the relegation zone, have outscored Chelsea by six goals.
Chelsea should have invested in a forward to give them a spark in the final third, but they were also short in midfield. N’Golo Kanté is only returning to training now having been out since August with a thigh issue; Mateo Kovacic has endured his fair share of injury problems; and Jorginho has been sold to Arsenal. Fernández will not fix the midfield completely, but he is a step in the right direction – and his age makes him a player for the present and the future.
Chelsea’s recent results have been awful – they have only won one of their last 11 games, scoring just four goals in that time – but Fernández has been a bright spot in the side. The sample size is small but his numbers are impressive: he ranks third for tackles per game (3.8) in the Premier League this season. He ranks first for passes per game (88.3) and accurate long balls per game (7.8) of all Chelsea players in the league this season. His pass success rate of 89% is high. He also set up the only goal that Chelsea scored in February – João
Félix’s opener in their 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Fernández has settled into his chaotic new surroundings quicker than Chelsea’s results suggest, but one statistic will worry Chelsea fans. He has been dribbled past 12 times in his four league games so far, more than any other player in the league since he joined Chelsea. However, there are mitigating factors. Fernández can operate as a ball winner who shields the defence – as he showed at the World Cup and in Portugal – but his best performances for Benfica came when playing alongside Florentino, a midfielder whose job was to break up play.
Fernández has been a victim of circumstance, with Potter asking him to operate in a role that does not suit his strengths. When Kanté returns, he will carry out the necessary defensive work and allow Fernández to focus on moving the ball forward to aid the attack.
Playing in a settled midfield rather than the constantly changing cast chosen by Potter would help. Fernández started alongside Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount against Fulham on his debut, then switched to a midfield two with Kovacic before finding himself partnering Ruben LoftusCheek. With every player fit and in form Loftus-Cheek would be unlikely to start as Fernández’s midfield partner, so another change will be coming along soon. With no consistency in selection, it’s difficult to establish patterns of play and build partnerships.
That’s before we even mention the various iterations of the Chelsea attack in front of him. The club invested heavily last summer and again in January, leaving Potter unsure of his best XI. Even when he does work out what to do with his squad, it will take time for the team to gel.
Chelsea have not won a game since Fernández arrived at the club but that says more about their current predicament than his performances. Having cost so much, fans wanted him to slot in seamlessly and improve Chelsea’s fortunes immediately. He has adjusted to the rigours of English football as well as could have been expected. This has been a thoroughly disappointing campaign for the club – with their lack of goals their biggest problem – but Fernández has been a bright spark who will dazzle once given a run in a settled, balanced team.
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