Enzo Fernandez admits he has faced several struggles since joining Chelsea for a British-record transfer fee in January.
After catching the eye and playing a starring role in Argentina’s World Cup winning campaign, Fernandez was subject to interest, with a host of the biggest clubs in Europe after his signature.
At the end of it all, Chelsea emerged victorious of all suitors and paid Benfica £106million on deadline day to make Fernandez the most expensive signing in British football history and the sixth most costly of all-time in football history.
With that price tag attached to his signing, the jury has been out on the youngster, who has not exactly set Stamford Bridge on fire, in line with Chelsea’s collective struggles as a whole.
Reflecting on his move to Chelsea, the 22-year-old admits it has not been smooth sailing.
Fernandez reveals why he joined Chelsea and opens up on struggles so far
“One of the factors was that I liked the long-term project the club is creating,” he said in an interview with UEFA.com.
“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. 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.”
Despite Chelsea’s current struggles, highlighted by the recent sacking of Graham Potter, Fernandez has been one of the club’s shining lights of late and believes the Blues will turn a positive corner soon enough.
“Adapting always takes time, meeting new players. I was among the ten new players that came in [during the winter]”, he added.
“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. But we have many good players. All of our attackers are class and have quality, so all of them can play at the top level.”
‘I’ve adapted quite well. London is very different from Lisbon and from Buenos Aires, we all know that already. It’s very cold.”
‘I’m still adjusting as best as possible with my family and I’ll be fine. London is very beautiful and I’m delighted.”
