Chelsea
are locked in talks with Benfica to sign World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez in
January.
With a release clause of €120m, roughly £105m, the Argentina midfielder
would become the Premier League's most expensive signing.
But Sky Sports News have been told Chelsea are not prepared to pay his
release clause in full, and instead want to pay it in instalments. If they
can do a deal in instalments, they are prepared to pay more than the £105m
release clause to get the deal done as quickly as possible.
Benfica would like Fernandez to stay and to sign a new contract, having only
been at the club since the summer.
There has been no progress on this deal in the last 24 hours, despite
reports elsewhere the Blues were getting closer overnight on Monday.
Sky Sports News has been told these reports, some of which also claim they
will pay the clause in full without instalments, are not correct.
'Chelsea want to blow competition out the
water'
Dharmesh Sheth on Sky Sports News:
"Chelsea want to pay it so they can blow the competition out of the water.
They don't want to worry about the summer. They want to back Graham Potter.
Chelsea's form has been indifferent under Potter of late. But the owners
want to back him. What a statement to make from the Chelsea hierarchy.
"Benfica don't want to sell Enzo Fernandez mid-season. But, could they be
tempted by a deal where a release clause is set, but then someone comes in
and says we'll go even higher than that release clause - because chances
are, they won't get that money offered again."
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