There are reports in Enzo Fernandez’s native Argentina that Chelsea has decided to extend his contract barely three months after he first signed with the club.
The 22-year-old made a record-breaking £107 million deal from Benfica to Chelsea on transfer deadline day.
To avoid violating Financial Fair Play regulations, Chelsea will amortize the transfer cost over the eight and a half years of Fernandez’s contract, which runs through 2031.
Cesar Luis Merlo, a trusted writer for TyC Sports, reports that Chelsea has exercised its option to extend the World Cup champion’s contract by another year.
It’s the longest deal in the beautiful game’s history, keeping Fernandez at Stamford Bridge until June 2032.
Chelsea may have opted to trigger the extension immediately to prevent UEFA from closing the loophole the West London club’s new owners have been exploiting in their contracts.
The governing body of European football is likely seeking to implement a maximum contract length of five years, which would prevent clubs from elongating the payment of transfer fees over such long periods.
For instance, if the transfer fee for Fernandez were to be stretched out throughout nine and a half seasons, the annual cost would be roughly £11 million.
Chelsea could exercise a similar clause with other players on extended agreements, like Mykhailo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile, if the UEFA judgment becomes official before the summer transfer window.
Despite Chelsea’s difficulties, Fernandez has made quite an impression since joining the club, and interim manager Frank Lampard is certain that the Argentine can emerge as a true leader.
The interim manager said, “Enzo is becoming a leader, but he’s 22, I think it’s quite difficult for us to talk about that, he’ll have to find his way.” Enzo is the starting goalie for the team. In the Champions League, the next opponent was Real Madrid.
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