The story behind the story
.
The transfer of
Enzo Fernández
from
Benfica
to
Chelsea
monopolized the covers of European and Argentine newspapers and quickly became a trend on the edge of
Deadline Day
, as it became known on the last day of the transfer market window in the main Leagues of the Old Continent.
In the midst of all this, the 'F5' to update the portals and accounts of specialized journalists multiplied as 23:59 on Tuesday approached.
Precisely one of them, the Italian Fabrizio Romano, who followed minute by minute the plot of the negotiation between the two clubs, revealed on Wednesday
five secrets about the sixth most expensive transfer in the history of football and the highest payment for a player of Argentine nationality.
.
Romano, who has almost 14 million followers on his Twitter account, explained that around 8:00 p.m., four hours before the end of the time to carry out the transfer,
the deal "was about to collapse" due to the lack of according to the terms of payments
.
There, the intervention of Enzo Fernández himself, who recently turned 22, who sent messages to Rui Costa to express his desire not to miss this opportunity, was vital.
The one that emerged in River, now linked to the English club until June 2031, had once again pressured for the transfer to be made and
was not called up for the game this Tuesday in which Benfica beat Arouca as a visitor
.
Nor had he trained alongside his teammates in practice on Monday, in which he only made a few moves in the gym, and then chatted one-on-one with coach
Roger Schmidt
, to whom he told him he wanted to be transferred.
Photo: EFE/EPA/JOSE SENA GOULAO
Another interesting fact is that, given the magnitude of the amount that was used for the operation -
121 million euros
-, the owners of both clubs were personally sitting at the negotiating table: on the one hand, the president of
Benfica
, the former footballer
Rui Costa
and the other
Todd Boehly
, who acquired Chelsea after the traumatic departure of Roman Abramovich.
There, on the table and as happened during the previous days, the round trips were constant, with the method of payment as the main obstacle, once Chelsea had already decided to disburse the 120 million euros of the release clause. rescission that appeared in the contract of the Argentine.
The payment conditions, the six installments that were finally agreed and the 40 million pounds sterling as an 'advance' were the keys that allowed unlocking a negotiation that seemed destined to fail.
That effort by Chelsea was based on the fact that they needed and wanted Enzo Fernández as soon as possible, without letting the opportunity pass and having to wait until next June.
Hours before, he had sold the Italian Jorginho, owner of his midfield, to the leader Arsenal, for which the arrival of an all-rounder like the native of San Martín.
His football coupling
Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
Enzo Fernández traveled on a charter flight from Lisbon to London this Wednesday and, perhaps, he may even have minutes next Friday when Chelsea host Fulham at the start of date 22 of the Premier League.
If the midfielder has shown one thing, it is his ability to adapt: two games with the Argentine National Team, coming on as substitutes, were enough for him to make the list for the World Cup;
he played as "5" alone, accompanied by a midfielder, from inside and with more offensive responsibility.
He always gave up
.
He has a very good reading of spaces, timing to know when to accelerate and when to maintain possession, and a mid-distance shot that is vital for someone who tends to hang around the edge of the area.
The teams usually play the rhythm that he wants
.
One detail to take into account is that his new coach ,
Graham Potter
, was the same one who knew how to enhance Alexis Mac Allister, bridging the gap, with characteristics similar to Fernández.
First at Brighton and now at Chelsea, Potter constantly modifies the structure of the game, but if we go to the names that will accompany him in the 'Blues', the man who emerged from River has everything to be able to enjoy and make his aesthetic game more beautiful.
Photo: EFE/EPA/Mohamed Messara
look too
Pulls, loosening and a bet for Benfica that came out well: how River did to collect 50 million for the pass of Enzo Fernández
Enzo Fernández heading to Chelsea: he said goodbye to Benfica with great emotion and leaving a stick to the press
Enzo Fernández to Chelsea: when could he make his debut and which team will he play against in the Champions League?
Chelsea confirmed the purchase of Enzo Fernández with a video and a curious detail on his social media profile
Enzo Fernández to Chelsea: from his absence in the World Cup album to being the most expensive Argentine in history and reaching the Premier in a year
Erling Haaland's agent gave him a Norwegian price: if they paid 120 million for Enzo, how much does the City scorer cost?