Benfica's World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez has finally become a Chelsea player following a lively deadline day as the Argentina international has signed with the Premier League club.
Transfer talk around the 22-year-old intensified while he helped Argentina to glory in Qatar, winning the FIFA World Cup Young Player Award.
Liverpool have also shown interest in the former River Plate player, who is in his first season in Europe after joining Benfica from the Argentine club in the summer.
Here's what we know after Chelsea confirmed the signing on February 1.
MORE: Chelsea transfer news
Coming soon. 🇦🇷🏆 pic.twitter.com/z5uaH5DB44
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 1, 2023
Did Chelsea sign Enzo Fernandez?
Yes they did, but they waited until February 1 to announce it, a day after the official deadline.
According to Sky Sports, the Argentina international underwent a medical with Blues staff before boarding a plane to London with the transfer fee paid to Benfica set at the just over the player's £105m release clause at £107m.
Earlier, Chelsea bid £105.6m ($130.7m) for Fernandez on January 30, hours after stories emerged that the Blues had re-entered negotiations for him.
The figure is significant because it matches the release clause in his contract. Benfica head coach Roger Schmidt accused the frontrunners for his signature of trying to sway Fernandez and being disrespectful towards his club at the start of this month, although he did not directly name Chelsea as his suitors.
The biggest spenders in the Premier League this season are said to have irritated Benfica by previously offering a deal involving payments in instalments or a lower amount including the loans of David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Hakim Ziyech in the opposite direction.
Enzo Fernandez Liverpool transfer: Could other Premier League clubs move in?
A spate of injuries in midfield led to Liverpool being strongly linked with Fernandez at the start of the 2022/23 season.
The Reds are expected to overhaul their midfield at the end of what has been an underwhelming season for head coach Jurgen Klopp's side so far, with reports suggesting they held talks over Fernandez before Chelsea's latest attempt to sign him.
MORE: Liverpool transfer news
Klopp dodged discussing Fernandez directly when he was asked about him in September by merely affirming that Liverpool are looking to strengthen when suitable players are available.
Manchester United were also said to have an interest in Fernandez, while Wolves reportedly made a move for him while he was at River Plate.
Jacobs has said that Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid would have been involved in an "open race" for Fernandez in the summer unless there is a "dramatic" development in January of the kind that Chelsea initiated.
Had the Blues not been successful in signing Fernandez, Chelsea could have turned their interest to Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.
MORE: Arsenal transfer news
Ecuador prodigy Caicedo had been told to stay away from Brighton training until the transfer window has closed amid uncertainty over his future.
The 21-year issued a statement on Friday voicing his desire to leave the club following an unsuccessful bid for him by Arsenal, who have since had a second offer of £70m ($86.6m) plus add-ons rejected. Ultimately he ended up staying at Brighton.
Enzo Fernandez contract
Fernandez only signed his five-year contract with the Portuguese club in July but has already moved on.
He will earn around 10 million euros a season as part of a contract until 2031 if he moves to Stamford Bridge, according to reporter Nico Schira.
Fernandez has put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half year deal.
Enzo Fernandez clubs and trophies
Fernandez didn't even last a full season at River Plate after graduating from the Buenos Aires club's youth ranks into the first-team in 2021.
The midfielder got his first taste of senior football with Defensa y Justicia before returning to the Argentine capital. There, his performances were so impressive that Man United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan considered signing him.
After joining Benfica, Fernandez was straight in at the European deep end. He has shone in the Liga Portugal, becoming a mainstay in the table-topping starting XI and top performer in the Champions League.
Benfica received a brutal Champions League draw, with Juventus, PSG and Maccabi Haifa in their group. However, the Liga Portugal leaders incredibly went on to win Group H, beating Juventus twice and holding Kylian Mbappe and Co. to 1-1 draws home and away.
| Club | Games | Goals | Assists |
| River Plate | 53 | 12 | 10 |
| Defensa y Justicia (loan) | 32 | 1 | 2 |
| Benfica | 29 | 4 | 7 |
