Chelsea have already spent more in the January transfer window (about $225 million) than all the top league clubs in Spain, Italy, Germany and France combined.
The London team may not be finished.
The final day of the window was another busy one for Chelsea and their new American ownership as the club look set to sign Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British record fee of £105m of pounds ($130 million) after selling Jorginho to Premier. League leader Arsenal. Hakim Ziyech could also leave Chelsea to join Paris Saint-Germain on loan.
Seven players have already arrived at Stamford Bridge this month, including Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk in a deal worth around $108m and French centre-back Benoît Badiashile for $40m.
If Fernandez joins, that would take Chelsea’s spending to around $350m in January.
It comes after Chelsea spent around $280 million in Europe’s summer transfer window, the first under new ownership led by Todd Boehly following the club’s $2.5 billion purchase in May.
Chelsea have handed new players long contracts (up to 8½ years for Mudryk, for example) to allow the club to spread the cost of signings over the length of the deal and comply with financial fair play regulations.
Fernandez would be the most expensive signing of the lot, with the 22-year-old World Cup winner’s fee exceeding the £100m (then $139m) Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021 .
Fernandez only joined Benfica from Argentine club River Plate in August, for a fee of around $10 million.
All Argentina goals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
See all of Argentina’s goals in their 2022 FIFA World Cup Championship.
Chelsea hope their latest spending spree will help the team climb the Premier League table, currently 10th, 10 points off the top four, in a late bid to qualify for the Champions League .
Associated Press report.
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