Real Madrid, Barcelona watching €120 million-rated Chelsea midfield target | OneFootball

Icon: Madrid Universal

Madrid Universal

·25 January 2023

Real Madrid, Barcelona watching €120 million-rated Chelsea midfield target

Article image:Real Madrid, Barcelona watching €120 million-rated Chelsea midfield target

Real Madrid’s transfer plans for the midfield position are glaringly unclear. After carrying the team on their shoulders for over a decade, both Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have a cloud of uncertainty over their future and it is Real Madrid’s priority to replace them.

Jude Bellingham is the club’s primary transfer target for the summer and the Merengues are prepared to make him their biggest acquisition in recent history. He is seen as a replacement for the veteran Croat.


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However, they will pursue another top young target if Toni Kroos decides to hang up his boots at the end of the season. The German is expected to make his decision in the next month. In such a situation, Enzo Fernandez’s signing becomes a realistic possibility.

According to reports from Record Portugal, Real Madrid are very attentive to the situation of the Argentine phenom. However, they are not alone as Barcelona and Chelsea are closely monitoring his availability too.

Benfica will not listen to offers less than his release clause of €120 million. That fee is considered very high by the Bernabeu offices, but Chelsea are willing to shell out €100 million and offer players in exchange as well, that too in the ongoing transfer window.

Fernandez was one of Argentina’s better players in last year’s FIFA World Cup which his team went on to win. Subsequently, he was crowned the best young player in the tournament and saw his stocks soar sky-high.

In 16 Liga Portugal games for Benfica so far this season, the 22-year-old has scored one goal and provided five assists. He has created nine big chances and averages a whopping 1.8 key passes per game.

In his most recent outing against Santa Clara in the Primeira Liga, the midfielder was the man of the match with two assists, 125 touches and a whopping 20 defensive. Needless to say, he is the complete package.

But, as things stand, Real Madrid’s interest might not actually materialise into a transfer as Chelsea are pushing with great intent to sign Fernandez before the January window closes.

Even if the midfielder stays at Benfica until the summer, Los Blancos could find it difficult to fund moves for both him and Bellingham, with the latter being the priority target for the club.

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