Real Madrid has stated it has no intention of signing Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez this summer. The Spanish club issued a statement on Friday, refuting recent reports that suggested an interest in the Argentina international.
Despite claims that Fernandez is keen to leave Chelsea and join Real Madrid after Chelsea failed to secure European qualification last season, Real Madrid’s statement clarified that these reports “do not correspond to reality.” The club emphasized that it has not made any direct or indirect efforts to sign Fernandez and has no plans to do so.
Chelsea, for their part, have confirmed that they have not received any club-to-club approach from Real Madrid regarding Fernandez. The Premier League club values the midfielder at £120m, should any serious interest emerge, but they are not actively looking to sell him. Chelsea would prefer to retain Fernandez as a key player under their new coach, Xabi Alonso.
Fernandez’s desire to leave and club reactions
Sources close to Fernandez indicate that he is open to the possibility of leaving Stamford Bridge this summer, with a move to the Spanish capital reportedly his preferred option. This sentiment was echoed by his agent, Javier Pastore, who has publicly discussed Fernandez’s future and suggested that failure to qualify for the Champions League could be an issue.
Fernandez himself received a two-game suspension in April from former manager Liam Rosenior after stating he was unsure about remaining at Chelsea and expressed a desire to live in Madrid. These comments, made during Spanish-language interviews following Chelsea’s dip in form and their Champions League exit, created an uncomfortable situation for Chelsea, given Fernandez’s importance to the team.
Real Madrid’s public distancing from Fernandez follows similar private signals from sources at Paris St-Germain and Manchester City, both of which had previously been linked with the midfielder. The Spanish giants had also issued a similar statement last month to deny reports linking them with Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise.
Transfer market dynamics and other interested clubs
According to Fabrizio Romano, there has been “zero contacts” between Chelsea and Real Madrid regarding a deal for Fernandez. Romano noted that Real Madrid views Fernandez as one of five midfield options and that any potential signing would depend on player departures from their squad.
Dani Ceballos and Nico Paz have already left Real Madrid, but the club’s key decisions will involve players who remain part of the first-team rotation before they decide which midfielder to pursue. This situation has led to other clubs reportedly entering the race for Fernandez.
Sportitalia journalist Gianluigi Longari suggests that Arsenal and Manchester City have now entered the race to sign the Argentina international. Longari indicated that while Real Madrid remains the first option for Fernandez, they would need to make a “sacrifice” to present an offer to Chelsea. Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly gathering information on the Argentine midfielder.
Chelsea signed Fernandez from Benfica in February 2023 for a then-British record fee of £107m, shortly after he helped Argentina win the World Cup. He has since won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, scoring 15 goals in all competitions last season, and he remains an important player for Argentina at this summer’s World Cup.
Real Madrid has already signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea this summer in a deal worth up to £51.8m.
Real Madrid’s statement also expressed “utmost respect for Enzo Fernandez, a great footballer whose career and quality are widely known, as well as for Chelsea FC, a club with which it maintains an excellent institutional relationship.” The club stated its regret that, despite the clarity of the facts, information continues to be disseminated that generates confusion among fans and unnecessarily harms the entities and people involved.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Leo Ashworth is a Sports News Writer at Latest News UK. He cut his teeth on regional sport before specialising in fast breaking-news writing. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Central Lancashire and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Newcastle, he follows the European Tour and boxes at an amateur gym. “Get it right first, then tell readers why it matters.”