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Wolves were once ‘very close’ to signing marquee Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez when he played for River Plate.
The Lowdown: Fernandez saga ends…
The South American was at the centre of a tug of war between Chelsea and Benfica on transfer deadline day with the saga going on well into late hours.
Eventually, the clubs finally found a breakthrough in negotiations and Graham Potter’s side acquired their midfield target for a British record £106.8 million.
Fernandez joins the west Londoners on a reported mega contract worth around £315,000-per-week, but according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, things could’ve been very different.
The Latest: Wolves were once ‘very close’ to Fernandez deal…
The reporter, writing on Twitter, claims Wolves actually could’ve signed the 22-year-old whilst he was at River Plate.
He explained:
“Just been reminded #Wolves were very close to signing Enzo Fernandez from River Plate for £17m. Sliding doors moment right there.”
The Verdict: Big miss?
At the time, few could have guessed he would become an Argentina star and play a pivotal role in their World Cup triumph last year.
That being said, one wonder what might have been if Wolves’ £17 million move for Fernandez didn’t fall through.
Even before the starlet’s World Cup exploits, he was making quite a name for himself for Benfica in the Portuguese top flight with some very impressive performances.
According to WhoScored, Fernandez featured as one of Benfica’s most selected players over the first half of 2022/2023 whilst also ranking as one of their best players overall.
He averaged the second-most tackles per 90 out of any player in their squad and chipped in going forward too – registering five assists and coming in third for successful key passes (WhoScored).
Beyond his performances in the Middle East for Argentina, it’s clear Fernandez could’ve become a real asset for Wolves going by the numbers.
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