Enzo Fernandez’s future at Chelsea has been a topic of heavy discussion over the last few days. Reports had first broken out in Argentina that there were chances of him changing clubs in the summer. That was followed by his post-game interview after the second leg against PSG. The midfielder did not rule out an exit and appeared to keep his options open.
Liam Rosenior would put that down to the ’emotion’ of the moment after a Champions League exit and his comments being misconstrued. But there was nothing to misconstrue about his recent admission that he would like to live in Madrid someday, while talking in a very relaxed setting.
In the aftermath, Chelsea handed Fernandez a two-game suspension. His agent, Javier Pastore, would describe it as ‘unfair’. The parties have also struggled to find an agreement over a fresh contract recently.
It looked like Fernandez’s team was ready to explore other options in the summer, if an agreement could not be found. While talking to The Athletic, Pastore had said:
“Our plan after the World Cup is to meet with Chelsea again and, if there is no agreement, to explore other options.”
Enzo Fernandez’s agent changes tune about Chelsea future
Well, something seems to have changed between then and now. That is because Pastore sounded a lot different in a recent interview when talking about Fernandez, his recent two-game suspension and his contract with Chelsea.
This time around, the suggestion seems to be that ‘there is nothing at all’ when it comes rumours about Fernandez leaving Chelsea. While speaking with Top Mercato, Pastore said:
“These are statements he made with no intention of causing problems for Chelsea. He is the captain, one of the team’s leaders, he has shown his best face on the field this season. He only talked about one city. Then there were many interviews in a short time where he talked about his future. The media mixed up a lot and started saying he was going to leave Chelsea. There is nothing at all. We are on the same wavelength with Chelsea. We made peace yesterday and the day before yesterday between Chelsea and the player. There have never really been any problems. We’ve made things clear.”
Pastore further went on to add, emphasing on the six years left on Fernandez’s contract with Chelsea:
“Chelsea plays its place in the Champions League via the Premier League, which is very important for the club. Enzo needs to play because he has a World Cup coming up. Chelsea needs him because he is a key player on their team. We discussed, we put everything in shape on both sides. Things are perfectly clear. There is no conflict. Enzo still has six years of contract and we have to work together, that’s what we do.”
What has changed regarding Enzo Fernandez’s situation over the last few days
The tone of the message is very different, coming out of Fernandez’s camp. A few days ago, it had looked like he had a foot out of Chelsea already. Now, it feels like efforts are being made to make it clear that he intends to continue on at the club.
Thus, the picture has shifted a lot over the past few days. But why? Has it been made clear to Feranndez’s camp that Chelsea are not willing to part ways this summer? Or are they not convinced that any club would be willing to meet the transfer fee that the Blues would want?
We do not know. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding from the very beginning. Whatever may be the case, it is very clear that Chelsea need Fernandez at his very best for the remainder of the season. They need to qualify for the Champions League. And the FA Cup is a good opportunity to add some silverware to the cabinet.
If you ask us, Fernandez’s long-term stay is still not completely certain. But the latest comments from Pastore do seem to hint at a stay rather than an exit.
