Enzo Fernandez recently questioned the way the club is being run while hinting at wanting a move to Real Madrid, and he has been handed sanctions. He will be sidelined for the next two matches.
There have been speculations surrounding his future at Chelsea as well. Real Madrid are reportedly interested in securing his signature, but Chelsea have been trying to agree on a new deal with him.
According to his agent Javier Pastore (h/t Sky Sports), contract talks with the South American midfielder have stalled, and it remains to be seen whether all parties can come to an agreement in the near future.
Pastore said: “There have been talks about renewing his contract, yes. We started discussing it around December or January, but we couldn’t reach an agreement.
“As Enzo’s contract still has six years to run, we decided not to renew it because the terms weren’t right for us or for the player. Given what Enzo is capable of today, he deserves much more than he’s currently earning.
“We felt that rather than renewing on terms that wouldn’t make the player happy, it was better to leave things as they are and focus on playing and performing well… We don’t want to get into discussions about figures, contracts and negotiations when the timing wasn’t right.”
Fernandez is a key player for Chelsea, with 18 goal contributions this season. The Blues simply cannot afford to lose a player of his quality if they want to build a formidable team capable of fighting for trophies next season. Keeping the South American at the club will be one of their priorities. It remains to be seen whether they can convince the player to commit his long-term future to the club.
If the player fails to agree on a new deal with Chelsea, Real Madrid will certainly fancy their chances in the summer. They need more creativity and control in the middle of the park, and Fernandez would be an excellent addition. He is one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League right now, and he has shown his quality with his country as well.
Chelsea will certainly hope that the recent decision to punish the player for his comments does not influence his decision regarding a new deal. The player’s agent has already been vocal about how the club’s call to punish the player for his comments was unfair. It remains to be seen whether all parties can de-escalate the situation and eventually agree on a new contract.
