According to Spanish media outlet El Desmarque, Atlético Madrid have expressed a keen interest in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández. This news has sparked widespread interest in the football world, especially considering Atlético Madrid’s steady pace on the transfer market in recent years and Chelsea’s current rebuilding status. What’s more interesting is that Atlético Madrid hopes to use the Argentine players in the team to lobby the young midfielder during the international break, further boosting the possibility of this deal.
Atletico’s ambitions and current situation
As one of the top three teams in La Liga, Atletico Madrid has always been in the running for the top spots, but its historical honours are still slightly inferior compared to Barcelona and Real Madrid. Especially in the Champions League, Atletico Madrid has yet to lift the big ear cup, which has led to mixed reviews of manager Diego Simeone. Some fans believe that Simeone has been good enough to lead Atletico to maintain steady competitiveness for many years, while others feel that failing to win the Champions League is a major regret in his coaching career.
However, this season’s Atletico seems to have shown greater ambition. They have just signed Alvarez, the Argentine striker nicknamed “Little Spider”, who has injected new vitality into the team and significantly enhanced the threat in the attacking end. The arrival of Alvarez has not only strengthened the team, but also given Atletico hope of competing for the league title and even challenging for the Champions League. For this reason, Simeone and his team have not stopped, but continue to seek opportunities to strengthen the squad – this time, their sights are set on Chelsea’s central midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Enzo’s value: a mainstay at Chelsea
The importance of Enzo to Chelsea is self-evident. He moved to Stamford Bridge from Benfica for a record fee of 120 million euros in early 2023. This sky-high contract not only proves his talent, but also reflects Chelsea’s high level of trust in him. Despite the many upheavals Chelsea has experienced in recent years, including frequent changes of managers and fluctuating results, Enzo has always been an indispensable member of the team.
As an all-round midfielder, Enzo can connect the team’s midfield and attack, and he has shown a high level of performance in both defending and attacking. This ability has allowed Chelsea to maintain a certain level of competitiveness even during its low points. Simply put, Enzo is not only a key player for Chelsea, but also one of the cornerstones of the team’s future.
Atletico Madrid’s strategy: the appeal of the Argentine gang
Atletico Madrid went to great lengths to facilitate the deal. During the international break, club officials reportedly assigned a special task to all the players called up by the Argentine national team: to persuade Enzo to join the team. These players included Molina, Depaolo, Juliano Simeone (Simeone’s son), Correa and new recruit Alvarez. It is clear that Atletico Madrid hopes to use the relationship between national team teammates to increase the attractiveness of Enzo.
It is worth mentioning that Atletico Madrid has gradually formed an “Argentine gang” in recent years, from Simeone himself to many key players, all of whom carry the lineage of the Pampas Eagles. If Enzo ultimately chooses to join, then he will be playing alongside his compatriots such as Alvarez, which will undoubtedly greatly help his adaptation process. Coupled with Atletico Madrid’s healthy financial situation, they are fully capable of offering an attractive offer.
Chelsea’s attitude: Will they let him go?
However, the key question is whether Chelsea are willing to sell Enzo. You see, the Argentine midfielder is not only still worth a lot of money, but is also an important part of the team’s future plans. Even though Chelsea’s current competitive results are not as good as they were during the Roman Abramovich era, they still need top-level players like Enzo to support the overall framework.
Moreover, if Enzo leaves, Chelsea will face a huge gap in the midfield. This will not only affect the team’s tactical deployment, but may also lead to a setback in the morale of other players. Therefore, unless an irresistible huge offer is received, Chelsea is likely to firmly retain Enzo.
Atletico’s determination: a money-no-object attempt
Of course, there is no shortage of financial support from Atletico Madrid. In fact, they have amassed considerable wealth over the past few years through shrewd transfers. For example, the players they poached from Barcelona alone have brought them huge profits. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s business model is very healthy, and even in the face of Barcelona’s severe financial crisis, they remain one of the wealthiest clubs in La Liga.
Because of this, Atletico Madrid dares to pursue top players like Alvarez and Enzo one after the other. However, being “not short of money” does not mean that every deal can be completed as desired. After all, Chelsea will not easily give up their star players, and Enzo himself also needs to carefully consider his career path.
The future blueprint of the Argentine group
If Atletico Madrid can successfully sign Enzo, they will have an even more luxurious Argentine group and become more competitive in La Liga and even in European competitions. However, it will not be easy to achieve this. On the one hand, the attitude of Chelsea will be a decisive factor; on the other hand, Enzo‘s own career plans also need to fit with Atletico’s team-building philosophy.
In any case, the transfer rumors surrounding Enzo have already caused quite a stir. Not only do they reflect Atletico’s ambitions, but they also highlight once again the complexity of the modern football transfer market. For fans, the next development is certainly worth looking forward to!
