Benfica President Blasts Chelsea New Sign Enzo Fernandez

Rui Costa, the president of Benfica, criticized Enzo Fernandez for pressing a transfer to Chelsea despite numerous attempts to keep him until the summer.

The transfer deadline day purchase of Fernandez by Chelsea from Benfica cost £106.8 million ($131 million), shattering the previous British record established by Jack Grealish in 2021.

READ ALSO: What Chelsea Boss Says About New Signing Enzo Fernandez Amid £106m Record-Breaking Criticism

However, Costa was willing to accept a lower amount in order to hold onto the World Cup champion until the summer. Fernandez, though, was adamant that he would leave Portugal in January and move to the Premier League.

After the trade was made official, the club president lashed out at the player in a news conference because of how the Argentine had treated himself.

“Enzo Fernandez did not want to stay at Benfica. He didn’t give us any chance. I did my best, I’m sad, but I’m not going to cry for a player who didn’t want to stay,” he told reporters.

He continued, “When Chelsea arrived, it was really impossible to change his mind. During deadline day we found an agreement to sell Enzo to Chelsea in the summer but he didn’t want to stay.

“From the moment Enzo realised [Chelsea would pay] the value of the clause it was unrelenting. We tried to insist, but the player did not show any openness to continuing at Benfica.”

Costa expected Fernandez to play a key role in Benfica’s effort to win the league title as they currently sit atop the Primeira Liga standings with 50 points after 18 games.

The midfielder made it obvious that he wanted to leave, though, and the official was compelled to sell the player as a result.

“I had the hope that Enzo would want to fight for the championship title with us,” Benfica President said.

“When I realised that he didn’t want to, I also didn’t want him to wear the Benfica shirt again. A player who even with the possibility of not losing a Euro and with a secure Chelsea contract, does not want to continue, could never stay at Benfica. This player could no longer enter the locker room,” he continued.

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The 2022 World Cup champion has already worked out at Cobham with his teammates and hopes to start when Chelsea takes on Fulham in the Premier League on Friday.