Enzo Fernandez and Chelsea: Has it worked out?

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Chelsea shocked the football world by paying Benfica £106.8 million for midfielder Enzo Fenrnadez in January 2023. It was the first truly big one-off transfer signing for Chelsea post-Abramovich.

The transfer was intended to bring Chelsea back into the realm of world powers and potential Premier League title winners.

Fernadez was also the first in a number of big-money transfers featuring young talent that would make Chelsea the envy of world football.

Fernadez’s transfer didn’t come without controversy. Of course, the amount of money spent by Chelsea and their continued outlay of cash frustrated rival football fans – and plenty of their own.

Yet, the World Cup winning midfielder’s move to Stamford Bridge also sent shockwaves through the football world due to the amount, or lack thereof, of first-team football Fernandez had experienced.

Fernandez played just 53 first-team matches for River Plate before moving to Benfica. There, he enjoyed 29 games, four goals and seven assists.

Winning the World Cup put Fernadez even further onto the map. He played in all seven matches for Argentina, helping the team to the World Cup trophy.

Fernadez’s performance in the World Cup, playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi, further influenced Chelsea’s decision to part with nine figures to sign him.

But as the old saying goes, don’t ever sign a player based on a good international tournament.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, has appeared in 42 games, scoring three goals and adding three assists. His goal-plus-assist numbers are not great, but Fernadez is a holding midfielder rather than an attacking one.

Still, onlookers would have expected far more production from the Argentine for the amount of money Chelsea paid.

Fernandez struggled to bed into the team after arriving in January 2023. The Blues finished 12th. This season has been little better for Fernandez and Chelsea. At the halfway point, Chelsea are 10th, with a record of 7W-4D-8L and goal difference of +2.

Even the appointment of former Tottenham and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t turned things around. His arrival was expected to turn the young talent at Stamford Bridge into a top-four side.

Fernandez played 16 of Chelsea’s opening 19 matches in the Premier League. He scored two goals, one from open play and one from the penalty spot. The midfielder has zero assists in 1,253 league minutes.

The Argentine ranks fifth on the team in progressive carries with 33. However, he is first in progressive passes with 114. Fernandez does not crash into opposing teams’ penalty areas. He averages just 1.12 touches in opposing teams’ penalty boxes.

It is Fernandez’s passing that sets him apart. He has an 86.5% pass success rate. Of the 77.41 passes Fernadez averages per match, he averages 9.17 of those as progressive passes, putting him in the 97th percentile of midfielders.

So, was Fernandez worth the price? Yes and no. He has shown himself as a strong midfielder capable of playing for a top team. However, Chelsea’s chaos and transfer business has prevented him from having a stable atmosphere to play within.

Would Fernadez benefitted from playing somewhere else? Perhaps, but much of that would likely have depended on the club, opposing teams, and players around him.