Enzo Fernandez – the wonderkid destined for greatness at Stamford Bridge

Enzo Fernandez. Where do I begin? Well, I’d like to ask the Argentina manager, Lionel Scaloni, why on earth Enzo started on the bench for the first two games of the World Cup?

The word generational gets thrown around far too much now but sometimes there are players that come along, and you must give them the label they deserve. I honestly believe Enzo Fernandez is the epitome of that word.

We finally have a player that is going to spray balls all over the park. A player that is going to spot our wide men in space so they can isolate their full-back 1v1. A player that’ll spot one of our attackers run in behind a defence before any opposing defender sees it. Enzo is someone that is proficient in many aspects of his game at the age of 21. I can guarantee that he will leave it all on the pitch for his teammates. Above all, we have secured a top-tier talent. I honestly thought he’d be the next Real Madrid Galactico. 

Enzo excels as a deep lying playmaker. His vast array of passing types allows him to carve opportunities out of nothing. He really does see the whole picture. He wants the ball at every opportunity, always looking to orchestrate attacks and progress the ball forward. He is the hub, it all goes through him. Who in the Chelsea team thrives off this responsibility – or even wants it? Jorginho was the only honorable mention.

Fernandez regularly plays line-breaking passes, his vision is exceptional and loves long, adventurous passes too. His ball striking is also incredible and he’s comfortable on both feet too. I can already see the ball spilling out to Enzo on the edge of the box, after the corner (un)surprisingly fails to beat the first man, only for him to then rifle one in the top corner. 

He has an excellent work ethic off the ball. He’s tenacious in the tackle, his energy and commitment to the cause is admirable and he gives his all on the pitch for 90 minutes. Furthermore, he shows excellent determination and aggression and certainly isn’t afraid of getting stuck in, as the saying goes “he has that dawg in him”. 

Mental traits are something Chelsea have severely lacked in recent years and they are something I’d genuinely pay extra for – the psychological aspect of players isn’t spoken about enough in my opinion. 

Off the top of my head, I’d say he is a mixture of Pirlo (passing), Kroos (ball striking), and Veratti (tenacity) although there isn’t one player I’d say he’s a carbon copy of in my opinion. 

Where does Enzo fit in this Chelsea side best?

Personally, I’d pair him in a pivot with Denis Zakaria with Zak having the simplified role of being the sitter who breaks up play – I’m not sure what Potter was cooking recently playing Zakaria in this strange 8 role but it isn’t Michelin star standard. For me, you let Zakaria be the destroyer and Enzo be the dictator. A Kante and Enzo pivot under the lights at Stamford Bridge on a Champions League night, could also be incroyable.

In the summer, I’d like an upgrade on Zakaria though. Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Kouadio Kone are just a few viable options. 

Can you play Enzo as a 6 in the Premier League? I’m unsure. It’ll depend on the opponent. If we’re likely to have a lot of the ball against a weaker opponent, I would perhaps consider it and maybe Graham Potter is with the departure of Jorginho.

The Premier League is a different beast to Portugal, for me, it’ll be limiting his capabilities having him as a lone DM, and besides, I want him getting close to the goal at times as he’s got a great strike on him and he’s generally very impressive further up the pitch, too. Having him as a left (or right) sided 8 with a sitter behind him, relieving him of intense defensive duties, will allow Enzo to do his thing and thrive. Or, as I said before, just playing him in a pivot but having a defensive minded player next to him would also be viable.

Initially, I must say I was skeptical about the price, but at the end of the day, sometimes you just need to drop a bag and pay that price. He’ll be worth his weight in gold. I can almost guarantee no one will be talking about his price soon enough. 

Enzo Fernandez is a winner, he is a player that will have a transformational impact on this team, signifying and pointing to a very promising direction in which Chelsea Football Club is heading towards. If I had to make a comparison, I believe that Enzo will make the same significant impact at Chelsea as someone like Bruno Guimaraes has done at Newcastle.