Enzo Fernandez has opened up on some of the struggles he has faced since signing for Chelsea in January for a British-record transfer fee.
After a playing a key role in Argentina’s World Cup winning campaign, Fernandez was a wanted man with several of the biggest clubs in Europe after his signature.
Chelsea won the race for the midfielder, paying Benfica £106million on deadline day to make him the most expensive player in British football history and the sixth most expensive of all-time.
‘One of the factors was that I liked the long-term project the club is creating,’ the 22-year-old told UEFA.com when explaining why he chose to join the Blues.
‘I also always dreamed about playing in the Premier League, and Chelsea had shown their interest in me even before the World Cup.
‘I came to a big club, one that has always fought for trophies and that has won two Champions Leagues in a very short period of time. Now that I’m here, I’ve realised how big this club really is.
‘And that’s what we wanted, what the club aimed for as a whole. This was an important factor when making this decision, apart from the fact that it’s in such a beautiful city like London.
‘I thought it all through with my family. If it’s God’s will, everything will turn out fine, and I’ll strive to win anything and everything.’
It’s been a whirlwind season for Fernandez, who had only joined Benfica last summer, but he’s made a solid start for Chelsea even with the club in turmoil and on its third manager of the season.
Graham Potter, the man who signed Fernandez, was recently sacked with Frank Lampard returning on an interim basis to hopefully help the club improve upon their current standing of 11th in the league and win the Champions League, with the first-leg of their quarter-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
All this change hasn’t been easy, but Fernandez is sure it will work out, adding: ‘Adapting always takes time, meeting new players. I was among the ten new players that came in [during the winter].
‘It’s hard with different languages, so it’s difficult to connect with team-mates at the beginning. As time goes by, we start getting to know our team-mates better and it will get better with time.
‘Have I struck up a connection with Kai Havertz and João Félix? We do have this connection, away from the pitch as well. But we have many good players. All of our attackers are class and have quality, so all of them can play at the top level.
‘I’ve adapted quite well. London is very different from Lisbon and from Buenos Aires, we all know that already. It’s very cold.
‘I’m still adjusting as best as possible with my family and I’ll be fine. London is very beautiful and I’m delighted.’
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