There is a club that wants him; they tried to entice him, but they know they can only have him if they pay the clause.
With his celebration in front of Benfica fans on Tuesday evening, Enzo Fernandez gave the clearest indication yet that he will not be joining Chelsea this month.
Following his impressive performances for Argentina during their World Cup victory last month, Chelsea have made Fernandez their top midfield target.
Chelsea’s negotiating tactics, however, have enraged Benfica, who claim the Premier League club has offered a lower deal than what was discussed during the Christmas period.
Benfica have insisted that Fernandez will not leave unless his €120 million (£106 million) release clause is met, despite the fact that the midfielder is keen on a move to Chelsea.
Fernandez scored Benfica’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Varzim on Tuesday night, advancing them to the Portuguese Cup quarterfinals.
During his celebrations in front of Benfica’s traveling fans, the 21-year-old tapped the club’s badge, pointed to himself, and then to the floor, which many Benfica fans interpreted as a sign that he will stay.
After the game, Benfica head coach Roger Schmidt told RTP3: ‘I never had any doubts about his attitude or his personality. He’s a wonderful person, he’s at Benfica, and he enjoys playing for the club.’
Schmidt responded, ‘I hope so,’ when asked if he expects the midfielder to stay at Benfica for the rest of the season.
The celebration comes after it was reported last week that Benfica’s president, Rui Costa, had personally warned Fernandez against joining Chelsea this month, advising the midfielder to wait and see which other clubs emerge at the end of the season.
Benfica disciplined Fernandez after he returned to Argentina without permission for New Year’s celebrations.
‘Enzo is a good guy and an extraordinary player; we want him to stay, but the situation is not easy; he played in the World Cup, won the World Cup, had offers, and there is a lot of money at stake,’ Schmidt said last week.
‘He is a young man player, which is confusing, as we all know. But he is a wonderful person.
He was not authorized to travel to Argentina, which is unacceptable; there will be consequences, which I will not specify.
‘Neither I nor the president want to sell him. We are aware of a release clause; if he wishes to leave and someone violates the clause, we may lose the player.
‘There is a club that wants him; they tried to entice him, but they know they can only have him if they pay the clause. It’s disrespectful to all of us, to Benfica; they’re driving the player insane by pretending to pay the clause and then negotiating.’