Why £60m English star is Chelsea’s dream Fernandez replacement

The transfer window has left a sour taste in many of the Premier League‘s biggest mouths, but Chelsea are grinning after a summer of emphatic business.

From Morgan Rogers to Danny Welbeck, this has been a sweeping and successful summer of spending in west London, with the new era threatening all the big boys across England and Europe.

But Chelsea have had to make a few concessions, and the biggest one is named Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez is going to get his wish. Manchester City’s pursuit of the 25-year-old will see him sign him for £125m, matching the British record.

Why Chelsea are selling Enzo Fernandez

Will Chelsea still have Fernandez on the books when the transfer window slams shut at 11pm tonight? It’s been one of the hottest topics of the month, one of the defining stories of the transfer window, and it’s increasingly likely that, yes, he will wear a different shade of blue going forward.

Chelsea are prepared to sanction the sale of their nine-figure Argentina midfielder in what could be a record-equalling deal, but fans would be left incredulous if the board fail to source a high-level replacement for Xabi Alonso and his fledgling system.

To say this has been a promising start to the season for the Blues would be an understatement. Chelsea are rekindling their title-winning fire. It’s so early in the day, but Alonso’s vision could lead the Londoners back to the top of the game, both domestically and out in Europe.

Fernandez is one of the world’s finest midfielders. He talks the talk and he walks the walk. He will be a big miss at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea are relaxed about the situation.

REUTERS/Matthew Childs

After all, Alonso is creating a coherent family of a team. Elite, entertaining and efficient. However, the 2022 World Cup winner will be a big miss, and Alonso is eager to land a replacement before the looming transfer deadline.

How Chelsea can sign a dream Fernandez replacement

Chelsea have explored deadline-day moves for Lamine Camara and Manu Kone, but it’s uncertain whether either deal will be closed at this last-gasp stage.

However, according to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT, Nottingham Forest skipper Morgan Gibbs-White is very much on BlueCo’s radar at the eleventh hour. The £60m-rated talent is their dream target, but there is an acceptance it might be nigh-on impossible to pull off.

But Fernandez is set to sign for City, and in a record-equalling move at that. There are still hours of transfer window ahead of us, so let’s not unbuckle our seatbelts just yet.

At the City Ground, Gibbs-White has grown into one of the Premier League’s best midfielders. He is a sensation, effortlessly creative, combative and cultured in possession too. The all-action midfielder is more progressive than Fernandez, occupying more advanced positions, but there’s no question that he could be the final piece of the puzzle, contrasting perfectly with the likes of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.

Fernandez brings a unique flavour to midfield, but he showed last year that he boasts a penetrative goalscoring threat that few can match from the middle of the park. Gibbs-White can, though.

Humorously described as the “Aldi Jude Bellingham” by football analyst Raj Chohan, there is a ring of truth to the comparison. Gibbs-White has one of the most dynamic and variegated tactical profiles out there, and Alonso would have the luxury of moulding him into one of a number of different shapes.

Over the past several years, the England international – who was overlooked by Thomas Tuchel ahead of this summer’s World Cup – has developed a myriad of midfield skills at Nottingham Forest.

It really does feel like Chelsea are bouncing back as one of Europe’s strongest outfits. All the pieces are coming together, and if they manage to pull off the statement signing of Gibbs-White, the buzz around Alonso and his grand plans could intensify.