TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez is a “decent” young player but not worth the £105million price tag that Chelsea are reportedly willing to pay.
Benfica president Rui Costa recently made it clear that any club that wants to sign Fernandez will have to fork out the €120m release clause in the player’s contract.
The statement was released following an earlier report claiming that the Portuguese club were expecting Chelsea to trigger the clause ahead of the January transfer window.
Fernandez, who joined Benfica from River Plate for a reported initial fee of just €10m (£8.8m) last summer, caught a lot of attention with his performance in Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign earlier this month.
He even got the recognition he deserved after being named the Young Player of the Tournament.
Agbonlahor was impressed by the midfielder’s ability to play under pressure but still does not think he is worth the asking price.
“Watching him, he looked so composed, didn’t he? In such big games [in the World Cup] and [was] always getting on the ball,” the former Aston Villa striker told talkSPORT.
“[He was] something they missed out on in the first couple of games, Argentina.
“But £105m? I don’t think you can pay that off a World Cup.
“I don’t think he was outstanding if that makes sense. I think he looked nice on the ball, he’s aggressive and did well for the team.
“He’s a decent player, but…
“Maybe it’s the age. When players are so young… He’s 21. And Chelsea, yeah, they’re desperate [for a new midfielder]
“But for me, I wouldn’t pay.”
Considering the Blues would have to pay a club-record fee for Fernandez, they are likely very confident that he would be a long-term solution to their midfielder issues.
Chelsea are also not the only club reportedly interested in the midfielder despite Benfica’s demands, so at least a few other clubs also believe that the player is worth a big investment.
As Agbonlahor pointed out, Chelsea’s potentially needing to replace N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, who are in the final months of their contracts at the club, might also be a factor.
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