Reports from Argentina suggest that Chelsea has extended Enzo Fernandez’s contract, just three months after he joined the club. The 22-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge on deadline day in a Premier League record £107million transfer from Benfica. As with most of Chelsea’s signings under their new ownership, Fernandez penned an eight-and-a-half year contract until 2031 with the club amortising the transfer fee over the duration of the contract to get around Financial Fair Play rules. Chelsea included an option to extend the World Cup winner’s contract by a further year – which, according to reliable TyC Sports journalist Cesar Luis Merlo, they have now triggered. The move will keep Fernandez at Stamford Bridge until June 2032, making it the longest contractual agreement in world football.
Chelsea may have decided to trigger the extension now before UEFA changes the rules over contracts to remove the loophole the west London club’s new owners have been exploiting. European football’s governing body is believed to be planning to impose a five-year limit on contracts, preventing clubs from spreading out the costs of transfers over such mammoth periods of time. UEFA’s ruling is likely to come into effect before the summer transfer window, so Chelsea may decide to trigger the same clause with other players on long deals such as Mykhailo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile.
Fernandez has impressed enormously since joining Chelsea despite the club’s struggles and interim boss Frank Lampard believes the Argentine can step up and become a real leader for the club. ‘Enzo is becoming a leader, but he’s 22, I think it’s quite difficult for us to talk about that, he’ll have to find his way,’ said the caretaker boss prior to facing Real Madrid in the Champions League. ‘Games like [the quarter-final first-leg tie at the Bernabeu] are a great chance to perform and show the personality that makes you a proper leader.’ Responding to his manager’s comments, Fernandez said: ‘I always dream to be a leader because when I started, I always wanted to be an example. To be defined like that so young makes me really proud. I always give my best and try to be an example for everyone.’