Enzo Fernandez didn’t make his senior international debut until September 2022. Within a few months he was a starter and World Cup winner with Argentina. The 22-year-old midfielder’s ascent to the top has been rapid, even by modern football’s standards, and it was only last summer that Benfica signed him from River Plate for around €14 million. Now Chelsea have made him a British-record transfer, and one of the most expensive players in the world, with a €120m transfer.
Fernandez’s impact has been nothing short of sensational. He made his River Plate debut in 2019, moved on loan to Defensa y Justicia a year later and returned to impress under manager Marcelo Gallardo with 10 goals in 28 games for River in 2022.
Benfica snapped him up in the summer of 2022 and gave him the No. 13 shirt previously worn by club legend Eusebio. He netted four goals and bagged seven assists in 29 games, and was named the best midfielder in Portugal’s top flight by Liga BWIN head coaches in August, October and November. He also helped the club to top their UEFA Champions League group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus and reach the knockout stages.
But it was with Argentina where Fernandez made the biggest waves. Having previously played for the under-18 side, the midfielder made his senior debut in a 3-0 win over Honduras in September 2022 and was named in Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in November.
Incredibly, he settled into international football almost immediately and from the final group-stage game vs. Poland on, he cemented his place in the first XI. Going on to lift the trophy, Fernandez also picked up the FIFA Young Player Award for the tournament.
With a €120m release clause in his contract, Chelsea made the move to secure his signature ahead of their rivals on deadline day. So what can we expect from him going forward? ESPN digs into the data with former scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen.
