"It was a stressful time" - Enzo Fernandez reveals deadline day emotions before Chelsea agreed deal with Benfica
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has shared what he felt during the final hours before his Deadline Day transfer in the January transfer window.
The Blues broke the British transfer record to sign Fernandez from Benfica for a whopping €121 million. However, it wasn't an easy deal as the negotiations went on for many days during the winter transfer window.
Many contradictory reports came out during that time and some even stated that Fernandez missed training to force a move away from Benfica.
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The Argentine midfielder has now revealed the situation before the transfer was complete. He told The Times:
“It was a stressful time. The nerves were kicking in as the final hours approached. It was all about me trying to keep calm and focusing on my football. I was training and playing when I could but it did get a bit hectic towards the end as the hours ticked by."
He added:
“A lot of stuff was filtering out through various sections of the press that maybe wasn’t akin to what was really going on. I know for a fact that I didn’t miss any training sessions. I know all the negotiations were conducted between the clubs. I just got on with it, kept my head down and kept going to training.”
Fernandez, 22, won the Young Player of the Tournament award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, helping Argentina lift the trophy.
He has signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea. He has made four appearances for the club and has already impressed, providing one assist.
Chelsea hoping to regain form in London Derby
The Blues have endured a tough season even after spending over £600 million in two transfer windows on 17 players. They are 10th in the Premier League table and have been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.
Chelsea have won just two of their previous 14 games across competitions and just one out of their five previous games in the Premier League.
They will now face London rivals Tottenham Hotspur away in the league on February 26. They have an excellent record against Spurs, winning six and drawing two of their previous eight meetings in the league.
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Chelsea have also won their previous three away games against Tottenham and have won more games against Spurs than any other club.
Hence, if there is one fixture that the Blues could look to break their winless streak, it is the upcoming derby.
Spurs are currently fourth in the league table and have won three of their previous five league games.