"These players don't want to play middle-of-the-table football" – Paul Merson believes star midfielder might leave Chelsea soon
Arsenal great Paul Merson has claimed that Enzo Fernandez could secure an exit from Chelsea due to his club's poor form in the future.
Fernandez, 22, became the British record signing after joining the Blues in a £107 million move from Benfica on the winter deadline day earlier this year. He was also linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid after his fine 2022 FIFA World Cup outing.
However, the 15-cap Argentina international has struggled to taste much success at Stamford Bridge so far. He has played in 30 overall games for the Blues so far, being on the winning side just seven times.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Soccer Special show, Merson stated that the River Plate academy graduate could look to leave if Chelsea continue to struggle under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. He said:
"My worry would be Enzo Fernandez. I don't think he hangs around if it carries on like this... £100 million player and a World Cup-winner. These players don't want to play middle-of-the-table football. They have got the money. They want to win trophies. That's what it's all about, winning trophies. They all get big money now."
Fernandez, who penned a lucrative eight-and-a-half-year contract at the Blues last January, has started six of his eight appearances across competitions this season. He has scored once from the penalty spot in his team's EFL Cup 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon last month.
Chelsea, meanwhile, signed three new first-team players to provide support to the Argentine. They splashed over £196 million to sign Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu earlier this summer.
Pundit backs Chelsea winter arrival to shine
Speaking to UK-based betting platform OLBG, ex-Chelsea star Pat Nevin claimed that Blues winter signing Mykhailo Mudryk will prove to be an effective signing with time. He elaborated:
"Mykhailo Mudryk is phenomenal and will soon come good. Chelsea cannot risk him being another [Mohamed] Salah or [Kevin] De Bruyne. There's a reason why Arsenal wanted Mudryk in January – he's phenomenal. His pace is ridiculous and so are his skills."
Backing Mudryk to cement himself as a top attacker, Nevin continued:
"He had different problems as he was a Ukrainian lad coming into a new country. There was also a massive fee hanging over him, though the pressure is slightly off now due to the other fees. I think he has the potential to be a great forward and a great creator."
Mudryk, 22, shot to fame with his electric performances for Shakhtar Donetsk last season. He registered 10 goals and eight assists in just 18 games for his boyhood team, attracting interest from the London club.
However, since arriving at Stamford Bridge in a potential £89 million deal, Mudryk has failed to live up to expectations amid the Blues' poor form. He has assisted twice in 23 matches across competitions for his side.