Champions League duo 'monitoring' big-money Chelsea star amid big tactical call on £53m signing

Several big European clubs are reportedly monitoring Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez as he has struggled to get into Enzo Maresca’s starting XI since the manager joined from Leicester at the start of the summer.

The midfielder joined Chelsea in January 2023 for a fee of £107m from Portuguese side Benfica and has since made 75 appearances for the Blues, scoring seven goals and six assists.

This season, the 23-year-old has struggled to get game time, despite controversially being handed the captain’s armband on a temporary basis, as his form has been poor for the Blues. He has made nine Premier League appearances, but most have come from the bench as Enzo Maresca has preferred Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, the latter scored against Manchester United in their 1-1 draw at the weekend.

According to the Sun, Barcelona and Inter are both monitoring Fernandez’s situation at Stamford Bridge as they could be interested in a possible move for the midfielder - should he and Chelsea decide it best to part ways.

Before the game against Manchester United, Chelsea boss Maresca said: “At this moment Enzo is not playing but there is no problem with Enzo. The noise about Enzo is because clubs pay so much money for them, people expect they will always be the best. That is not so. The only reason he is not playing is just because the physicality I prefer is from (Moises) Caicedo and Romeo Lavia."

Fernandez also monitored by 15-time Champions League winners

The midfielder could also be looking at Real Madrid as a possible destination as the La Liga giants are reportedly keen on signing him included in a swap deal for their midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has also struggled for consistent form in recent weeks.

Chelsea had previously held an interest in the France international and could be tempted to sell Fernandez in order to get their man - assuming that the Blues would still like to sign Tchouameni, who has been at Real Madrid since 2022 when he joined from French side Monaco.

However, Madrid are also keen on signing Fernandez without the swap deal as they are said to be willing to pay big money to lure the Argentine away from Stamford Bridge. The player is unlikely to settle for sitting on the bench for a long period of time under Maresca, given the hefty transfer fee paid to sign him back in 2023.

Fernandez’s personal struggles

The Argentine has had a tough time of it so far this season, not only on the pitch but also in his personal life. Fernandez recently split from his partner and moved away to live on his own despite having children together.

Discussing his player’s struggles, Maresca said: “They are human beings and if you (the club) pay £100m (to sign them) that is not my problem. You want to buy me then you pay that money. That does not mean that every game you have to be the best. At the end of the day they are football players and they cannot always be at the top level.”