Chelsea are right to get tough with Fernandez – his disrespect could not go unpunished
Chelsea’s decision to drop vice-captain Enzo Fernandez for the next two matches, amid self-imposed speculation over his future, is the correct one.
The midfielder, who arrived in January 2023 for £106m, has been flirting with Real Madrid – and he’s not doing it subtly.
It would be surprising if he doesn’t have a desire to play for one of the most iconic clubs in world football and to move his family to Madrid, where the lifestyle, weather and right now, the football, is far more appealing.
But for an elite footballer in his position, he simply cannot be allowed to say it out loud, let alone say it multiple times.
He’s not behaving like a leader, and Chelsea’s long-term project is now at risk of collapse – with even the usually reserved Marc Cucurella apparently unhappy.
If Fernandez got away with publicly pleading for Real Madrid to come and save him, it would send a terrible message to the players sitting around him in the dressing room.
Liam Rosenior is right – Fernandez crossed a line, and the club must punish him. He will sit out against Port Vale in the FA Cup this weekend, and his absence shouldn’t be a major issue.
But against Manchester City, he will certainly be a big miss – and the Argentine will have plenty of time to stew on his comments as true title challengers roll through Stamford Bridge.
Fernandez is not untouchable at Chelsea, and a £100m offer might well be enough to prise him away, with the Blues thought to be interested in signing a new midfielder next summer anyway.
Whether Real even come calling is another question entirely. Like many of his teammates, Fernandez has struggled to light it up this season, and it’s hard to see how he can command such a fee.
That means the coming weeks are incredibly important for the want-away midfielder.
If he sees the error of his ways, he will be fighting every day in training to win back his starting spot for a crunch fixture against Manchester United.
And Fernandez can expect a cold welcome if he does indeed take his place in Rosenior’s starting XI on April 18.
The Chelsea faithful are already furious with the state of the sinking project, and won’t take kindly to someone who has openly disrespected the club.
It feels a long way back for Fernandez, who now faces a rocky road heading into a World Cup he has hopes of winning.
What happens beyond the summer is anyone’s guess.
