Fernandez to Chelsea deal could be good news for Liverpool and Man Utd

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Chelsea paying a monstrous £112million fee for Enzo Fernandez could potentially be good news for Liverpool and Manchester United’s pursuit of Jude Bellingham. The Blues are unlikely to make an offer of a similar amount for Borussia Dortmund starlet Bellingham, freeing the race to sign the England midfielder for their Premier League rivals. 

Fernandez is likely to join Chelsea, whether in January or in the summer. A structured deal worth separate £37m instalments over three years has been offered to Benfica, who only signed the 21-year-old for a meagre £10m last summer. 

Chelsea are doing that to ensure they remain within Financial Fair Play restrictions. They are reportedly chasing other deals for the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Rafael Leao and Declan Rice. The £32m signing of defender Benoit Badiashile is also set to be announced. 

So it seems unlikely that the Stamford Bridge outfit will find the funds to sign Bellingham in the summer. The 19-year-old is wanted by all of Europe’s top clubs, including Liverpool and United. 

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Dortmund, who were due to hold talks with their prized asset after the World Cup, are set to demand over £100m from interested parties. That would surely rule out Chelsea if they continue to spend astronomical amounts on their other targets. 

Liverpool are understood to have completed the most groundwork on a potentially club-record signing of Bellingham. Real Madrid are second-in-line should the Reds fail to push through a move. 

Jurgen Klopp is desperate for midfield reinforcements and could ideally do with a new signing in January. But the German must wait until the summer to sign Bellingham as Dortmund do not intend to sell until the end of the season. 

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United have also entered the race, having come close to signing the England World Cup sensation nearly three years ago. The Red Devils attempted to woo the then-Birmingham prospect with tours of Old Trafford and their Carrington training base, but the player ultimately chose to sign for Dortmund. 

Chelsea will not need Bellingham if they sign Fernandez, and especially if they then complete a return for former academy talent Rice in the summer. They must also remain inside Financial Fair Play restrictions, with more money set to be spent in the winter window to help Graham Potter elevate the club back up the Premier League. 

That leaves Liverpool and United fighting for Bellingham with Real Madrid. It seems increasingly likely that England’s most precocious talent will return to these shores. 

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