Real Madrid have been linked with Enzo Fernandez going back to his time at Benfica. The Argentine midfielder first rose to prominence at the 2022 World Cup, as he was named the Young Player of the Tournament, while playing a big part in Argentina's triumph in Qatar.

A move to Real Madrid was heavily touted on the back of that success. That did not end up materialising though.

Instead, Fernandez would end up joining Chelsea in early 2023 for a transfer fee in the region of €121 million. A significant figure for someone who was largely unproven in Europe despite his success at the World Cup.

To be fair to Fernandez, he has proven himself to be a success at Chelsea. He has developed into a consistent goalscorer from midfielder while also delivering assists on a regular basis.

He has been one of only a few though as Chelsea's record spending has failed to reap the rewards they would have been hoping for. Forget competing for the biggest prizes in Europe, they have not even been able to consistently qualify for the Champions League and could very possibly lose out this season as well.

On the other hand, after their 8-2 defeat on aggregate against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Fernandez did not rule out a potential move away from Chelsea in the summer when enquired about his future. He said: 

"I don't know. There are eight games left and the FA Cup.

"There's the World Cup and then we'll see."

Of course, that should send alarm bells ringing at Stamford Bridge. When players start making cryptic statements like that when asked about their futures, it usually means that an exit is not a million miles away.

There is believed to be a ton of interest in Fernandez already. PSG are seemingly eyeing a move if reports are accurate. There are Saudi clubs in the mix as well. But Real Madrid seems to be the Argentine's preference.

According to talkSPORT, journalist Ben Jacobs said while speaking on talkSPORT's Sports Bar on Tuesday:

“My information very clearly from sources close to Enzo Fernandez is that if, and it is still an if, because there's been no talks or formal advancement, but should Real Madrid come forwards, that's the club of preference that Enzo Fernandez would like to join rather than going to France or Saudi Arabia.

“Regardless of what the player may want, or if he's hinting that he would like a move this summer, and from the player's point of view, he may think that's possible, but we must remember Chelsea hold all the cards.

“He's contracted until 2032. I'd be very surprised were Chelsea to engage or accept an offer if it was under a British transfer record.”

A lot of Chelsea's current players have long-term contracts. As a result, it is indeed the Blues who hold most of, if not all, the cards.

That does not mean that a move could not happen though. In modern football, we have seen plenty of players successfully engineer moves away from their clubs even when they had long-term contracts. So, anything can happen when it comes to this Fernandez saga.

It will take a significant transfer fee to sign him, that is for certain. Will Real Madrid, a club that has rarely spent big in recent years, break the British record to sign Fernandez? That is the big question we should be asking here.

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