Former Chelsea and Strasbourg defender Frank Leboeuf has suggested that Enzo Fernandez is no longer welcome at the west London outfit.
Since publicly hinting at a potential exit earlier this April, Fernandez has been a big topic of transfer speculation. While he has failed to attract interest from his desired Real Madrid, he is reportedly a target for Manchester City.
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Although Manchester City chose not to meet Chelsea’s £120 million valuation prior to the August 14 deadline, Enzo Maresca‘s team are believed to be still assessing a potential deal on the summer transfer deadline day.
Discussing the Argentine’s future, Leboeuf told ESPN:
“Enzo Fernandez, I think he’s gone. We have the case with Julian Alvarez (involving Atletico Madrid and Barcelona). A club can fight and try to keep a player but if the player wants to go, he has to go because there is no way that he would be fully fit, fully fit also psychologically, to give 100 per cent.”
The 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning Frenchman concluded:
“I think nobody (at the club) wants Enzo Fernandez to stay. It’s time for him to go because he decided to go because he showed last season, because of his comment that he wants to leave. So, bye-bye, good luck.”
Fernandez, 25, came off the bench in Chelsea’s 3-2 season-opening league win at Fulham last Monday. But, he has not since been named in the squad, with his club allegedly working on a deal to sign Monaco’s Lamine Camara.
Since leaving Benfica for £107 million in January 2023, Fernandez has featured for Xabi Alonso’s club 170 times across all competitions. The FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder has contributed 31 goals and 30 assists for them.
Pundit defends Chelsea transfer decision
Asked to share his two cents on Emiliano Martinez being bought to quickly replace Robert Sanchez, Frank Leboeuf backed Chelsea’s new stance with shot-stoppers. He told ESPN:
“Everybody made a statement about Robert Sanchez after what happened in the last game that he played and the goal he conceded. It was kind of an emergency and it’s why Emiliano Martinez signed. He signed in the morning and played in the afternoon. It’s only fair, that’s what it is. We play in a world of competition, and you have to accept that competition.”
Martinez, who will turn 34 next month, shipped three goals on his Chelsea debut in the 4-3 Premier League home contest against Brighton & Hove Albion this Sunday. His £7.5 million arrival is set to bench Sanchez from now.
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee
