According to reports, Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez has decided to ‘submit an official transfer request’ to leave this summer.
Fernandez has arguably been Chelsea’s best performer this season, but he has also caused issues for head coach Liam Rosenior and owners BlueCo.
Last month, Fernandez caused uproar by firing a dig at Rosenior and BlueCo, while he hinted at his willingness to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.
In response to this outburst, Rosenior decided to drop Fernandez for Chelsea’s games against Port Vale and Manchester City.
And it has subsequently been reported that Chelsea’s squad want Fernandez to feature against Man City, though Rosenior would lose face if he changed his mind at this point.
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On banning Fernandez, Rosenior said: “I spoke with Enzo an hour ago. As a football club, with me as part of the decision, he won’t be available for tomorrow’s game or Manchester City next Sunday. A line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build.”
There have been conflicting reports regarding the reasoning behind Fernandez’s recent conduct, with it unclear whether he is lobbying for a transfer or a bumper new contract.
But a report from Spanish outlet El Chiringuito (via GOAL) claims Fernandez has decided that he will ‘submit an official transfer request’ to try to force an exit from Chelsea.
However, the report also notes that an exit is not guaranteed because Chelsea are to ‘demand 150 million euros (£130m) to agree Fernandez’s departure’.
The same report claims Real Madrid are in the running to sign Fernandez, but they may wait until the end of the summer window to sign him as they hope his fee decreases.
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This is likely the case of an outlet putting two and two together and getting five, but pundit Paul Merson predicted last week that Fernandez has already informed Rosenior of his intention to leave.
“I think more’s gone on than that. I think Enzo has sat down with him and told him I want to leave,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“I’ve seen Cucurella have a meeting with him. But Enzo has gone in and said I want to leave.
“One thing you have to do as a manager is never chop your nose off to spite your face. Let the fans look after that situation. Not you.
“The fans will let you know if they are unhappy with Enzo. But play him on the pitch. He is one of Chelsea’s best players. It’s disappointing as a Chelsea fans, and it’s only good news for Man City.”
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