By Victor Kanayo
Premier League Strugglers Chelsea beat January transfer deadline to sign Enzo Fernandez in a British record of €120 million (£106.8m) deal.
Fernandez who was captured from Benfica is an Argentine.
He penned an eight-and-a-half year deal at Stamford Bridge, more than one month after playing a starring role as Argentina lifted the World Cup in Qatar last year.
The arrangement over how the fee would be structured was sealed in the final hours of the January transfer window.
The blues are meant to pay a £30m upfront fee, followed by five further instalments.
On Wednesday, some 12 hours after the window officially closed, Chelsea finally announced the 22-year-old had completed his move to west London.
Fernandez’s arrival follows the departure of Jorginho, who sealed a deadline day move to Arsenal for a reported £12m.
Fernandez joins Malo Gusto, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Mykhailo Mudryk, Andrey Santos and Noni Madueke as Chelsea’s new recruits.
Fernandez only joined Benfica for £10m in June from River Plate last year, representing the club 25 times and scoring three goals.
River Plate have a 25% sell-on clause on Fernandez’s transfer to Chelsea, according to Eurosport.
The midfielder was presented with the Young Player of the Tournament at the World Cup in Qatar in December, and he scored for Argentina in their crucial group stage win against Mexico.
Chelsea were the most active Premier League club in the January transfer window. Their spending hit £322m with Fernandez becoming their eighth signing.
