"Dreamed about playing in the Premier League" - 2022 FIFA World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez explains why he joined Chelsea in January
Enzo Fernandez has revealed that he picked Chelsea as he always wanted to play in the Premier League. He claimed the Blues showed interest in him before the FIFA World Cup performances, and he was ready for the big move.
Chelsea chased Fernandez in the January window and signed the midfielder on deadline day. Benfica played hardball but agreed to sell the Argentine with minutes left in the window.
Speaking to UEFA's official website, Fernandez claimed the dream of moving to the Premier League saw him make the decision quickly. He said:
"One of the factors was that I liked the long-term project the club is creating. I also always dreamed about playing in the Premier League, and Chelsea had shown their interest in me even before the World Cup. I came to a big club, one that has always fought for trophies and that has won two Champions Leagues in a very short period of time."
Enzo added:
"Now that I'm here, I've realised how big this club really is. And that's what we wanted, what the club aimed for as a whole. This was an important factor when making this decision, apart from the fact that it's in such a beautiful city like London. I thought it all through with my family. If it's God's will, everything will turn out fine, and I'll strive to win anything and everything."
"Adapting always takes time" Enzo Fernandez on adjusting to life as a Chelsea player
Enzo Fernandez opened up about taking time to adapt after joining Chelsea, citing the language barrier as one of the reasons. However, he stated that he's settling well at the West London club and will only get more comfortable in the future.
He said:
"Adapting always takes time, meeting new players. I was among the ten new players that came in [during the winter]. It's hard with different languages, so it's difficult to connect with team-mates at the beginning. As time goes by, we start getting to know our team-mates better and it will get better with time. Have I struck up a connection with Kai Havertz and João Félix? We do have this connection, away from the pitch as well."
Chelsea, who are currently 11th in the Premier League table, will be in action next on Wednesday (April 12) when they take on Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.