Who Is Enzo Fernandez, The Argentine Midfielder And New Chelsea Player

Update: This story has been updated with news of Enzo Fernandez's move to Chelsea.

After his sublime performance in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar in which he not only helped Lionel Messi vanquish Kylian Mbappé and Les Bleus to earn Argentina its third title, but also win the “Best Young Player” award at the tournament, 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Fernandez has established himself one of the hottest talents in all of football. Now his success on the international stage has made him the the most expensive player in Premier League history after joining Chelsea for a massive $132 million in the January transfer window.

Long before he showcased his talents in Qatar, Fernandez was already making a name for himself. He joined the academy for Argentine professional club River Plate in 2006, at just 5 years old. Thirteen years later, Fernandez made his professional debut with the senior squad, playing sporadically through the 2019-2020 season. A loan move the following year to the Buenos Aires-based Defensa y Justicia allowed him to shine under the tutelage of ex-Chelsea striker and club manager Hernan Crespo, while playing just 14 games, contributed to the squad's Copa Sudamericana title – South America's Europa League equivalent. As his talents rapidly evolved, Fernandez returned to River Plate, but his time there would be short-lived, as Europe beckoned; he signed with Portuguese club Benfica on a nearly $12 million transfer in June 2022.

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Less than three years into his professional career, Fernandez went from youth standout to a consummate talent for Benfica, consistently performing well for the Portuguese giant in both their domestic league and the UEFA Champions League. Thanks to his efforts, Benfica sits at the apex of the Primeira Liga with five points to spare, and have even managed to surpass a Messi-led Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League group. It's been with Benfica that Fernandez's exquisite ball control and superb technical ability have propelled him to be a world-class box-to-box midfielder, able to manage possession, contribute with incisive passing in attack and short-circuit opponent's forays forward.

Once Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni called him up to the national squad in September for friendlies against Jamaica and Honduras, there was no looking back for Fernandez. He made an immediate impact, assisting on a Messi goal en route to a 3-0 victory over Honduras in Miami. Despite riding the pine as Argentina fell 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their first group match in Qatar, he came on as a sub against Mexico and scored his first international goal in La Albiceleste’s 2-0 victory in their second match. He added an assist on a Julian Alvarez goal in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Poland to secure advancement out of the group stage. This earned him a starting spot on Scaloni’s side moving forward in the tourney. World Cup viewers will also forever remember his vital role in the build-up to Messi’s second goal in the final against France, setting up Lautaro Martinez with a timely ball on the rush, leading to a shot on target and Messi's rebound goal. With such a strong, it’s no wonder that the creative midfielder with incredible touch won the “Best Young Player” award in Qatar.

Though there had reportedly been significant interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool, Chelsea managed to woo Fernandez to Stamford Bridge following protracted negotiations with Benfica, who held firm that they wouldn't offer any discounts, even after Fernandez expressed a desire to move to London. The end result was a $132 million move to join the Premier League giants.

Now he faces the pressure of living up to that price tag, and stabilize what's been a chaotic Chelsea season that has seen their new American ownership group spend hundreds of millions to remake the roster. Fernandez will be at the center of it all as Chelsea aim to reassert their dominance over the Premier League and world football in the years to come.

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