English Premier League

Chelsea agrees to sign Enzo Fernández for Premier League record fee

Updated Jan. 31, 2023 7:17 p.m. ET

Chelsea has already spent more in the January transfer window — around $225 million — than every club in the top leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined.

The London team might not be finished.

The final day of the window was another busy one for Chelsea and its new American ownership, with the club reportedly close to signing Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández from Benfica for a British-record fee of 105 million pounds ($130 million) after selling Jorginho to Premier League leader Arsenal. Hakim Ziyech could also leave Chelsea to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan.

Seven players have already arrived at Stamford Bridge this month, including Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk in a deal worth around $108 million and France center back Benoît Badiashile for $40 million.

If Fernandez joins, that would take Chelsea's spending up to around $350 million in January.

This comes after Chelsea spent around $280 million in Europe's summer transfer window, the first under the new ownership fronted by Todd Boehly following the purchase of the club for $2.5 billion in May.

Chelsea has handed new players long contracts — as much as 8 1/2 years for Mudryk, for example — to allow the club to spread the cost of the signings over the length of the deal and comply with financial fair-play regulations.

Fernández would be the most expensive signing of the lot, with the fee for the 22-year-old World Cup winner surpassing the 100 million pounds (then $139 million) Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.

Fernandez only joined Benfica from Argentine club River Plate in August, for a reported fee of around $10 million.

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Chelsea will hope its latest spending spree helps the team climb the Premier League standings — it is currently in 10th place, 10 points off the top four — in a late attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

Reporting by the Associated press.

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