Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has been handed a shock Enzo Fernandez question that he may already have a transfer answer for.
The Blues have been very busy in this summer’s trading period with five new signings and six exits sanctioned already. The bulk of those transfers have been for youth players, though the additions of Tosin Adarabioyo and Kiernan-Dewsbury-Hall, alongside exits for Ian Maatsen and Lewis Hall involved significant funds.
Just over £65million has been raised by Chelsea from the transfers of Maatsen and Hall to Aston Villa and Newcastle, respectively, with further funds picked up from the £5million move to Leicester for academy star Michael Golding.
In terms of new arrivals, after leaving Fulham at the end of his contract, Tosin was brought in as a free agent, turning down approaches from Tottenham and Newcastle in the process. Dewsbury-Hall meanwhile, rejected a move to Brighton, in order to seal an immediate reunion with his former Leicester City boss Maresca at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues paid £30million for his signature and while Maresca may certainly know the best way to use the 25-year-old, Fernandez looks to have made an alternative clear. Since his £106million move to Chelsea, the 23-year-old has either operated in a pivot or as part of a three-man midfield, however for Argentina he has a different role.
In his nation’s Copa America semi-final victory over Canada, Fernandez was deployed in a deep midfield role and it’s fair to say he thrived in it. While picking up an assist for Lionel Messi’s goal, he misplaced just six passes out of 63 attempted, won five out of six duels and also committed no fouls, as per FotMob, in a very disciplined performance.
Ahead of him in the middle of the park was Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister who was given the chance to impact the game in the final third, something Dewsbury-Hall may potentially do at Chelsea with Fernandez behind him. It is also worth mentioning that Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher, if the latter remains at the club, will also be pushing for spots in the starting XI.
However, judging by that display, Fernandez will have hopefully shown Maresca his best position with it then on the Chelsea boss to set up the midfield around him.
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