Chelsea set huge Fernandez price tag as Xabi Alonso tells Real Madrid to sign him
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández is attracting serious interest from Real Madrid, with manager Xabi Alonso urging Los Blancos to strike a deal.
Real Madrid eye 2026 deal for Chelsea star Enzo Fernández
It’s approaching three years since Enzo Maresca’s side broke the British transfer record by signing Fernandez in a deal worth £107 million, and while Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool has since smashed that fee, the midfielder remains one of Chelsea’s most expensive ever buys.
Rank
Player
Fee
Signed from
Year
1
Moises Caicedo
£115m
Brighton
2023
2
Enzo Fernández
£107m
Benfica
2023
3
Romelu Lukaku
£97.5m
Inter
2021
4=
Kepa Arrizabalaga
£71m
Athletic Club
2018
4=
Kai Havertz
£71m
Bayer Leverkusen
2020
The £180,000-per-week star endured a very difficult first year at Stamford Bridge, failing to justify his mammoth price tag whilst even getting involved in a racism scandal in 2024, but he’s since been rejuvenated by Maresca.
The Italian shocked on-lookers by naming Fernandez as a captain just one month after his racism debacle with the Argentina national team. However, the 24-year-old repaid Maresca’s faith by becoming one of the linchpins of his engine room.
Since Maresca’s appointment, Chelsea’s tactical setup has played to Fernandez’s strengths, allowing him more freedom to influence the game in a more advanced role while also allowing him to maintain some defensive responsibilities.
This new place in the team has elevated his performances, and amid Fernandez’s surge in form, reports are seriously linking Real with a keen interest in signing the ex-Benfica star.
Some sources have suggested that Chelsea could be open to a part-exchange deal involving Fernandez and Fede Valverde, but a new report from Spain has made the Blues’ demands crystal clear.
Chelsea set mammoth price tag for Enzo Fernández amid Real Madrid interest
It is now believed that Real’s interest has intensified, with Alonso personally telling the La Liga giants to pursue Fernandez in a bid to upgrade his midfield.
However, Chelsea have placed a £100 million price tag on Fernandez, so if Real want to open talks, they could have to make him the Londoners’ biggest-ever sale.
Rank
Player
Fee
Sold to
Year
1
Eden Hazard
£89m
Real Madrid
2019
2
Kai Havertz
£65m
Arsenal
2023
3
Oscar
£60m
Shanghai SIPG
2017
4
Álvaro Morata
£58.3m
Atlético Madrid
2020
5
Diego Costa
£57m
Atlético Madrid
2017
Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards best summed up Fernandez’s newly-found importance to Chelsea, praising him as a “leader” in the squad who has a “little bit of everything” after yet another great performance against Liverpool just prior to the international break.
He would now be difficult to replace, and Chelsea will hope that Fernandez’s knee problem isn’t too serious after he was forced to withdraw from international duty.