Enzo Fernandez
After Ederson, Rúben Dias, Darwin Núñez and many more, Enzo Fernández looks set to become the latest Benfica player to head to the Premier League with Chelsea closing in on a €127 million deal for the Argentine midfielder. This price tag would make Enzo the most expensive Premier League signing of all time as well as surpass João Félix’s departure to Atlético Madrid in 2019 and become Benfica’s most expensive sale and Chelsea’s record signing, as well as the fourth-most expensive transfer in football history behind Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Philippe Coutinho.
Starting steps
Born in San Martín, Buenos Aires, Enzo joined River Plate’s academy in 2006 at the age of five and spent 14 years in their academy before making his first-team debut on March 4, 2020 and being used sporadically off the bench before deciding to head to Defensa y Justicia on loan five months later. He would become a regular in midfield under Hernán Crespo and score 1 goal and 2 assists and collecting eight yellows as Defensa y Justicia proceeded to defeat Vasco da Gama, Bahia, Coquimbo Unido and defeat fellow Argentine side Lanús in the 2020 Copa Sudamericana final, starting and playing the full 90 minutes and securing the first trophy in his professional career.
Enzo’s loan was cut short midway through the season at the request of manager Marcelo Gallardo, with the youngster making his return on July 15, 2021 in a 1-1 draw against Argentinos Juniors in the Copa Libertadores and immediately becoming a starter and began the 2022 campaign with eight goals and six assists in 19 games.
His performances attracted interest from various clubs from across Europe but it was Benfica who won the race for him, paying €10 million plus €8 million in add-ons, as well as including a resale clause that will see River Plate recover 25% of Enzo’s transfer fee. River were adamant that Enzo remained put until the end of their Copa Libertadores campaign, and three weeks after completing the deal, they were forced to part ways after being eliminated from the tournament at the Round of 16 at the hands of fellow Argentine side Vélez Sarsfield.
From Benfica’s starlet to star man
Enzo had no time to rest and immediately shipped out to Lisbon, where he was quickly ushered into Benfica’s starting line-up under new manager Roger Schmidt as the club won each of its preseason matches with Enzo showing an impressive synergy and understanding with Florentino Luís, João Mário, and Rafa Silva in midfield and taking to European football like a duck to water.
Wearing the same #13 that was donned by Benfica’s greatest ever player in Eusébio, Enzo made his competitive debut on August 2, scoring a half-volley from outside the box to put Benfica ahead 3-0 on the cusp of halftime, as Benfica proceeded to win 4-1 before opening the scoring within 23 minutes in the second leg, sneaking past the defense, timing his run to perfection and volleying a cross past the goalkeeper with a calm, tidy finish at the near post as the Eagles defeated FC Midtjylland 3-1 in the second leg, before beating Dynamo Kyiv 5-0 on aggregate to secure passage to the Champions League group stage. Benfica found themselves two goals to the good in their league opener against Arouca who fell to 10 men before the break when Mateus Quaresma was sent off, with Enzo blasting a ferocious volley past the goalkeeper’s legs to secure an eventual 4-0 home win.
A deep-lying playmaker, Enzo blends a remarkable understanding of the game and tenaciousness out of possession, an impressive vision and calm under pressure with the ability to make an impact in the final third as well, grabbing assists against Rio Ave, Chaves, Gil Vicente, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. With an ability to win back possession and prevent dangerous counterattacks combined with an inherent skill to play an inch-perfect pass and find an opponent in a dangerous area, Enzo was just as valuable in possession as he was out of possession, and he played every single match for Benfica in all competitions – with the exception of their final Champions League group stage match against Maccabi Haifa after picking up three yellows in his last three games.
Benfica went into the World Cup break as the sole undefeated team in Europe alongside Paris Saint-Germain, winning 12 and drawing once in the league and beating Maccabi Haifa 6-1 on the final matchday to pip PSG to first place in their group – whilst Les Parisiens will be facing Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, Benfica will be facing Club Brugge. Enzo’s understanding with Florentino Luís in the double pivot would allow him the freedom to get forward and pick out passes in advanced areas whilst also ensuring that the defense was never exposed on the counter, and it saw him pick up the Primeira Liga’s Midfielder of the Month award for October and November before shipping out to Qatar for the World Cup.
Qatar World Cup 2022
Whilst his Benfica teammates Gonçalo Ramos and João Mário came on for the final minutes to help Portugal see out a 3-2 victory against Ghana in their opener, Enzo came off the bench for the final half-hour of Argentina’s opening match but was unable to inspire a comeback as the Albiceleste fell to a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia. He was thrown on for Guido Rodríguez in the 57th minute of their second match against Mexico with the score level – Lionel Messi would find the back of the net within seven minutes whilst Enzo added another in the 87th minute, wiggling past Erick Gutiérrez with a delightful step-over and shoulder-drop before firing past Guillermo Ochoa into the top right corner.
Enzo was given a chance in the following match which would see Argentina have their most comfortable result so far, picking up an assist in a 2-0 win against Poland to secure first place, before starting the following match, scoring an own goal to make for a nervy final 20 minutes in a 2-1 win against Australia but nevertheless impressing enough to earn a start in the following match against the Netherlands, where he delivered another complete performance at the base of a midfield trio, winning four out of seven ground duels and not being afraid to get stuck in against a physical Dutch side. He went the full 120 minutes and was the sole Argentine player to miss his penalty, but once again remained in the team for the following match as Scaloni switched from a 5-3-2 to a 4-4-2.
Enzo showcased his tactical versatility by impressing in the center of the pitch and bossing the likes of Luka Modrić and Marcelo Brozović, with the former River Plate man winning four out of nine ground duels, completing four tackles and completing 42 out of 48 passes as Argentina thrashed Croatia 3-0 to progress to the final in Lusail. Just as he had for every single knockout round match, Enzo played every single minute for Argentina in the final and displayed an ability to filter passes towards the final third and wreak havoc on the counter with five long balls completed out of 11 attempts. He won 11 out of 21 ground duels, won 10 tackles and exhibited his naturally feisty side with three fouls committed, and when Gonzalo Montiel scored the decisive spot-kick to secure Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986, he became the first player to win the World Cup whilst playing in Portugal’s top-flight alongside Benfica teammate Nicolás Otamendi.
Impacts for Benfica and Chelsea
Enzo became the third player to win the FIFA Young Player of the Tournament and the World Cup trophy in the same year after Pelé (1958) and Kylian Mbappé (2018), and he quickly found himself the subject of a host of top European sides, with Chelsea sprinting ahead of their competitors and working quickly to complete the deal. It was unclear whether or not he would participate in Benfica’s return to league play, but whilst he played 89 minutes before coming off, he wasn’t there mentally – he was late to loose balls and slow to react, and this decrease in energy and concentration led to a a decline in performance throughout the rest of the team. Benfica went behind after a minute as Abel Ruíz broke the deadlock before setting up the second goal, escaping the marking of various Benfica players and setting up Ricardo Horta’s goal 30 minutes later, with the Braga captain making Benfica pay after their failed attempts to sign the Portuguese international this past summer with a brace.
Benfica find themselves five points above Porto, six above Braga and nine above Sporting and will be looking to bounce back on Friday as they face Portimonense at home without three key players in Enzo, Rafa Silva and David Neres. They have enjoyed a stellar start to the campaign, but have been knocked down to Earth in recent weeks after being eliminated from the Taça da Liga by second-tier Moreirense and losing to Braga, and they need to respond with a strong result and work quickly to rebuild their squad as they prepare to compete for silverware in three competitions. A winger has been deemed a priority with the club closing in on a deal for 18-year-old Norwegian talent Andreas Schjelderup who sits atop the top scorers list in Denmark’s top-flight with 10 goals, whilst Enzo’s imminent departure will likely see them invest in at least one central midfielder, and whilst they will be forced to share a quarter of their fee with River, they have more than enough funds to provide Schmidt with the attacking and midfield depth that has been sorely lacking this season.
The sale of Darwin Núñez to Liverpool provided them with the funds to sign key players like Enzo, Fredrik Aursnes, Petar Musa and Alexander Bah, and the sale of Enzo could be a similar blessing in disguise for the Eagles. Whilst Chelsea will be hoping that their decision to make Enzo the most expensive central midfielder in football history results in a renewed chase for the top four, with Graham Potter’s side currently 10th in the table and 10 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, Benfica will be looking to continue to fill out their squad as they chase their first Primeira Liga title in four years and look to better last year’s Champions League quarterfinals finish.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
