Benfica want to convince Enzo Fernandez to stay until the end of the campaign after Chelsea’s club-record offer for the player, according to reports.
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The midfielder is in high demand off the back of Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar with Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid interested in a deal.
Liverpool and United have both held discussions with Benfica and Fernandez’s representative this month, but Chelsea are appearing to blow their Premier League rivals out of the water with a major bid.
The Blues are keen to improve their midfield options as both Jorginho and N’Golo Kante could leave the club on a free transfer when their contracts expire at the end of the campaign.
The Daily Record claims that Chelsea have submitted an offer in excess of €127m (£113m) for Fernandez, which tops the fee the Portuguese side received for Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
But according to Record, Benfica president Rui Costa has now spoken to Fernandez and doesn’t want him to leave despite Chelsea’s big offer.
The report claims that Costa is trying to persuade Fernandez to stay at the club until next summer.
Meanwhile, O Jogo claim that Benfica are also preparing for Fernandez’s exit in the January transfer window and are already lining up a replacement for the player.
Racing Club midfielder Carlos Alcaraz and Velez Sarsfield’s 19-year-old midfielder Maximo Perrone are currently both on Benfica’s shortlist.
