Enzo Fernandez arrives at Chelsea’s training ground ahead of his unveiling
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Record Premier League transfer signing Enzo Fernández arrived at Chelsea’s training ground ahead of his introduction.
Chelsea confirmed the signing of Fernandez for a British record fee of £107m this morning, after they agreed a deal with Benfica late on deadline day.
The World Cup winner from Argentina, who will wear the number 5 jersey, was photographed on a private jet heading to London this afternoon.
And later on Wednesday, the private plane was photographed arriving at Farnborough Airport around 3:30 p.m.
Fernandez’s car was also pictured heading to the Blues’ training ground in Cobham on Wednesday night.
Enzo Fernández arrived at Chelsea’s training camp ahead of his presentation tonight.
The private plane carrying his new £107m firm was photographed at Farnborough Airport earlier.
Fernandez’s car was also photographed traveling to Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham.
The 22-year-old is expected to be officially introduced as a Blues player tonight.
An earlier photo of Fernández traveling to England on a private jet was shared on social media by his agent Uriel Pérez, who is seen sitting next to him.
Perez also included an image of the Chelsea crest in the image.
Fernández also took to social media today to thank Benfica fans after his move.
He wrote: ‘Very grateful Benfiquistas. We wanted to thank my family for all the love received in these 5 months, I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
‘Where I enjoy every moment to the fullest and always give my best. Let the press not stain what we built together because it was something wonderful that I had never imagined.
‘Thanks to all the collaborators who do their best to make the institution much bigger than it is.
‘Thanks to my colleagues for always treating me in the best way and making me feel at home. Grateful to the club’s leadership and especially to Roger Schmidt, to all his staff for their trust and daily respect. I was very happy. THANKS@slbenfica I will always carry you in my heart.’
Chelsea this morning posted a video on Twitter mocking Fernandez’s performance sometime earlier today.
It contained a clock, his name above the Chelsea crest, fans at Stamford Bridge and ended with a photo of the player himself.
Chelsea’s record signing Fernández (left, with his agent Uriel Pérez) was pictured on his way to London after completing a staggering £107m fee from Benfica on deadline day
Fernández (left) took to social media today to thank Benfica fans following their move to England.
The World Cup-winning Argentine signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract that could see him at the club until 2031.
Chelsea’s search for Fernández headed into the closing minutes of the transfer window, as both clubs spent Tuesday in talks to try to finalize the move.
The club made preparations for his medical in Portugal and arranged a private jet for him to board on Wednesday to fly to England.
At one point, it looked as if Chelsea would fail to close the deal for the 22-year-old, but both sides finally struck a breakthrough minutes before the 11pm deadline.
Benfica confirmed the move in a statement early Wednesday morning after the clubs completed the necessary paperwork before the deadline. The Portuguese club also removed Fernández from its player list on the club’s website.
The Blues mocked an advertisement by changing their Twitter bio to an Argentina flag followed by a trophy emoji.
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali, who also sanctioned Jorginho’s transfer to Arsenal on Tuesday, led negotiations for the World Cup winner with Benfica London.
Benfica issued a statement in the early hours of Wednesday to confirm the agreement
Chelsea mocked an announcement about the Fernandez deal by changing their Twitter bio
Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali (left) is said to have been key in securing the deal
Sources had previously indicated that Chelsea could come up short and were ready to turn their attention to completing a summer move for Fernandez because closing a deal for this season was proving too difficult.
But Tuesday night’s deal was greeted with much relief given the club’s determination to complete the move by January.
It is understood that the biggest hurdle the Londoners were trying to overcome was agreeing a payment plan for the record fee with Benfica.
Chelsea wanted to pay in six installments, including a larger down payment.
Benfica, however, originally wanted Chelsea to pay Fernández’s £105m release clause in one fell swoop. Talks on Tuesday were mainly aimed at negotiating that hurdle, with Chelsea offering to reduce the number of quotas.
It is believed that Benfica was willing to accept a payment structure of three installments over two years and a compromise was eventually reached. Fernández had always been open to a move, but decided to stay out of the talks out of respect for Benfica.
Benfica left the 22-year-old out of the squad to face Arouca on Tuesday and also missed training on Monday. The personal terms had already been agreed upon.
The signing took Chelsea’s total spending for January to more than £323m.