Chelsea star wants Barca move despite 8 years left on contract

While his contract with Chelsea is valid until 2032, 23-year-old Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez reportedly wants out.

Joining Chelsea, the Argentine was fresh off an incredible 2022 World Cup campaign in which he won the trophy for Best Young Player. Reportedly, in January of 2023, the sale was valued at $129 million.

Despite competition from other clubs, Enzo accepted Chelsea‘s offer and jumped at the chance to join with them until 2031. Among the league’s highest-paid players, he was involuntarily signed to an eight-year deal.

But Chelsea have been severely underachieving since new owner Todd Boehly took them, despite spending roughly $1.1 billion. They are fifteen points off of the top four and now sit in eleventh place.

Rumors circulated last month that Enzo is considering leaving England, possibly due to frustration with the club’s performance. However, according to Fabrizio Romano’s comments, his agency made things clear by implying differently.

“I really don’t understand why reports came out of nowhere about Enzo planning to leave Chelsea. We know the plan of the club, plan of the owners. He’s happy and wants to stay.”

How did Fernandez react to previous exit talk, despite having agreed 8 years of contract at Chelsea?

Despite their struggling season so far, the Blues stunned Aston Villa in Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay with a dominant performance. Key to the 3-1 victory was midfielder Enzo Fernandez’s goal.

From 30 yards out, he expertly directed a free-kick past Emi Martinez of Argentina and into the far corner of the net. As he celebrated, the midfielder seemed to respond to the talk by pointing to the ground in a manner that suggests he is staying.

Despite his desire to leave, Fernandez seems to be unable to do so due to his contract expiring in 2031 or 2032, depending on the source. As one would expect from the Blues, they don’t see the face of the Boehly’s project for sale.

Messi to help facilitate Camp Nou dream?

But that hasn’t stopped people from guessing about the 23-year-old’s future plans. According to a recent shocking story, Fernandez eyes Barcelona move. Sport reports that the prospect of playing for the Blaugrana has captivated the Chelsea player.

Given that Fernandez is a national teammate of Lionel Messi, it’s not surprising that he has a soft spot for the Catalans. The 36-year-old eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is widely considered to be one of Barcelona’s all-time greats.

According to the Spanish news site, Fernandez has even offered his services to the Blaugrana via his agency in order to explore the possibility of a move. Nevertheless, as of right now, that seems rather improbable. The present financial situation at Barcelona makes a transfer impossible.

Something may change, however, since shockingly, Frenkie de Jong supposedly wants out of Camp Nou. As a result, Barcelona may see a substantial influx of cash this summer.

It’s no secret that Barcelona are having money problems. The reigning La Liga winners will need to make massive cuts before 2024-25 if they want to be in compliance with all requirements.

It is unclear how club officials, including president Joan Laporta, intend to do this; it might include selling off players or capitalizing on a single famous name.

Photo credits: IMAGO / Sportimage : IMAGO / Sportimage