Chelsea may face a difficult problem when Enzo Fernandez returns after the post-2026 World Cup break. The Argentine midfielder and his agent have repeatedly publicly expressed their desire to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. However, after Real Madrid officially withdrew and other big clubs were not willing to meet the £120 million price that Chelsea requested, Enzo's future is precarious.
The 2026 World Cup also did not close in the way Enzo wanted. The 25-year-old midfielder became the focus of criticism when he received a red card in the final against Spain, causing Argentina to play with one less player and then suffer a 1-2 defeat in extra time.
At the end of the tournament, Enzo's future became a topic of more concern than ever. For many months now, Enzo and his agent Javier Pastore have continuously sent signals wanting to move to Real Madrid. In an interview in March, the midfielder admitted that he wants to live in Spain and revealed that Madrid is his dream destination.
Those statements once caused the Argentine international to be suspended internally for 2 matches by coach Liam Rosenior. However, his agent continued to publicly criticize Chelsea's handling of contract negotiations, and affirmed that his client would consider leaving if no new agreement was reached after the World Cup.
During the tournament, Pastore even declared that Enzo Fernandez was considering the possibility of leaving Chelsea and did not hide his love for Real Madrid. However, all expectations quickly closed when Real Madrid issued an official announcement denying any contact with Enzo Fernandez.
The Bernabeu club affirmed that they have not negotiated and have no plans to recruit the Argentine midfielder, and emphasized that the rumors that have appeared in the past time do not reflect the truth at all.
Meanwhile, Chelsea has a completely opposite stance. New coach Xabi Alonso publicly affirmed that he wants Enzo to continue to stick with the team. The Spanish strategist confirmed that he has had private discussions with this midfielder and hopes he will become an important part of his plan in the new season.
Chelsea's pursuit of Alex Scott has also sparked speculation about the possibility of finding a replacement for Enzo. However, this deal has not made a breakthrough as Bournemouth rejected the first offer from the London team.
Not only facing an uncertain future, the former Benfica player also made his image worse in the eyes of many Chelsea fans.
In the World Cup semi-final against England, this midfielder had a provocative celebration after Argentina's equalizer. After the match, he continued to post a video with the song Wonderwall - a song considered a symbol of England fans - making the wave of criticism even more explosive.
In the final, the red card for a rough foul on Pau Cubarsi made Enzo even more target of attack on social networks. Many Chelsea and England fans believe that he was the reason Argentina lost the championship.
After the holiday, Enzo will return to join Chelsea to prepare for the new season. The relationship between him and the club can still be healed if the Argentine midfielder focuses on playing under Xabi Alonso.
Enzo Fernandez's future is therefore still uncertain, but at the present time, the most realistic option for him seems to be to continue to stick with Chelsea.
