Enzo Fernandez’s manager slams ‘disrespectful’ Chelsea over transfer pursuit
Benfica boss Roger Schmidt has slammed Chelsea over their "disrespectful" transfer approach for Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues have reportedly agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old, who won the Young Player Award at the World Cup after helping Argentina to glory. But they're still a long way from reaching a deal with his Portuguese club.
Stamford Bridge chiefs aren't willing to pay his £106million release clause, instead trying to agree a deal worth £112m paid in installments – much to the frustration of Schmidt, who has accused them of messing Benfica and Fernandez around.
READ MORE: Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea transfer 'collapses after Benfica insist £105m or no deal'
Speaking at a press conference earlier today (January 5), he said: "We do not want to sell Enzo. Not me, not the president, nobody.
"We know, everyone knows he has a clause in the contract and if the player wants to leave and someone comes and pays the clause of course we cannot work against that. Then maybe we will lose the player.
"There is a club who want our player. They know we don’t want to sell the player. They tried to get the player on their side and they know they can only get this player when they pay the clause.
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"It is a very clear situation. What the club is doing, it is disrespectful against all of us, against Benfica and I cannot accept what they are doing.
"So to make the player crazy, and then to pretend they can pay the clause and then later they want to negotiate, it is not what I understands to be good relationship between clubs who want to discuss players."
Fernandez defied Benfica's wishes by returning to his homeland for New Year and missing training in the process amid the speculation. But Schmidt gave him his backing.
"Enzo is a very good boy and a fantastic football player," the German continued. "We love him and hopes he stays at Benfica. But of course, the situation for him is not so easy, he played in the World Cup and became world champion and he got offers and there is a lot of money on the table.
"In this situation as a young player, you think about that. It can confuse you a little bit, I think that is something everyone can understand. But nevertheless he is a very good boy.
"He was not there last week, he did not have permission to go Argentina, he missed training and that is not acceptable so that is why he will have consequences. But I will not announce them now."
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