Enzo Fernandez has improved enormously this season for Chelsea with the midfielder close to his goals tally for the whole of last term and far ahead in the assist department.
Back in October of last year, there were plenty of people asking questions over whether Enzo Fernandez fits into the Chelsea team under Enzo Maresca.
Since his £106million move in January 2023, the Argentine midfielder has divided opinion amongst the Blues‘ fan base. Some will not have a bad word said about him, while others believe he should offer much more given the extortionate transfer fee paid for him over two years ago. However, as the season has gone on, those in the camp of the former are being vindicated.
Fernandez‘s assist for Nicolas Jackson – in the only goal of a 1-0 win against Everton at Stamford Bridge – was his 11th of the season in all competitions. That total is already eight more than he managed in the whole of the 2023/24 campaign. Fernandez has scored one less than last season, but there are still six (possibly seven) games left to play.
The Argentina international has been directly involved in 17 goals in his 40 matches this term. He played the same amount of games over the course of last season, but managed seven fewer direct goal contributions. While there remains division over Fernandez, there cannot be any denial of his improvement in a Chelsea shirt this season.
Only Cole Palmer – with eight – has registered more assists than Fernandez in the Premier League this season. The 24-year-old is now a clear favourite of Maresca‘s, but it has not always been that straightforward for the central midfielder.
In October, as mentioned above, there were doubts over Fernandez and that was blown up even more when Maresca left him on the bench at Anfield for the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. Fernandez was then left out of the starting XI for three consecutive league games. In the third of those, against Arsenal, Fernandez set up Pedro Neto for the equalising goal at Stamford Bridge. And the Argentine has not looked back since.
Fernandez is quite often a hot topic in Maresca’s press conferences given the fee he cost the west Londoners in 2023 and the Chelsea head coach has constantly referred to his progression in the role he is being asked to play. While one of the full-backs inverts, Fernandez tends to be one of the No.10s, usually alongside Palmer.
His understanding and knowledge of the role – with much more experience under his belt – has improved massively. Fernandez has added a certain type of goal to his repertoire; arriving in the box late and getting into position that allows a strike from close range.
“Enzo, since we started, is improving a lot and understanding the game much better,” Maresca said on Fernandez at the beginning of April. “At the beginning he struggled a little bit but is now always doing the right things and is in the right positions.
“The reason why he is scoring and assisting is because he is in the right position. Even with the national team, he was getting into the box, so I am happy with Enzo.”
Fernandez, already a World Cup winner, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window. While interest in a player of Fernandez’s calibre is natural, football.london understands Chelsea have zero intention of allowing the midfielder to leave the club in the coming months. In fact, one source said Fernandez will be wearing the Chelsea blue for ‘many years to come’ yet.
We have seen an improvement from Fernandez this season, no doubt, but you still feel as if there is so much more to come from the South American.
