Enzo Fernandez endured a strange season at Chelsea. Despite being one of the Blues' better players, his performances have, at times, been overshadowed by speculation he won't still be at the club next campaign.
At times, the Argentine midfielder showed exactly why Chelsea invested so heavily to bring him to Stamford Bridge, coming up clutch in moments, but there have also been obvious tensions building behind the scenes.
Earlier this year, Fernandez was dropped by former manager Liam Rosenior for two matches following public comments hinting at a future move to Real Madrid.
Now, according to the latest reports, any concerns Chelsea may have had might have been justified.
Enzo Fernandez tells Chelsea he wants to join Real Madrid
According to TEAMtalk, Fernandez’s representatives have informed Chelsea that their star client wants to leave Stamford Bridge and join Real Madrid this summer.
The fact Fernandez remains one of the club’s most important and high-profile players despite Chelsea’s disastrous season ending without European qualification altogether, makes this update a worrying one.
Real Madrid’s long-standing admiration for the Argentine is hardly surprising — even less so now Jose Mourinho will take charge.
The Chelsea man is physical, robust, fiery but also very technically sound. Mourinho loves that type of player. And for Fernandez, the same as most players, Madrid is often too good to turn down.
The Spanish giants consistently compete for the biggest trophies in world football, while Chelsea are still desperately trying to rebuild stability after several turbulent years under BlueCo.
Despite Xabi Alonso's exciting arrival on July 1, Fernandez's heart seems set on making a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Won't sign a new contract
Interestingly, TEAMtalk’s report also claims Fernandez has refused to enter discussions over signing a new contract at Chelsea.
While Chelsea would obviously prefer to keep one of their biggest assets, refusing to extend his current deal suggests he knows Real Madrid will make a genuine attempt to sign him in the coming weeks and months.
This stalemate also puts the pressure on Chelsea's hierarchy if they're to avoid a situation that could lead to the player publicly shunning the club.
With the midfielder’s focus already on Real Madrid, Chelsea may eventually be forced to make an unpopular decision and let go of a player Alonso probably wants to keep.
During his three-and-a-half-years at Chelsea, Fernandez has scored 31 goals and provided 30 assists in 169 games in all competitions.
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