When Benfica signed Enzo Fernandez for an initial £8.8m in June it was uncertain whether the River Plate midfielder would join the club immediately or in January.
It turned out the better question would have been when would he leave? The answer: Seven months later to Chelsea for more than 10 times that amount and as a World Cup winner and also the Premier League’s most expensive signing.
Chelsea signed Fernandez on transfer deadline day for a record £107m (121m euros) after just half a season in Europe.
The 22-year-old Argentine’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric since returning to River 18 months ago from a loan spell at Defensa y Justicia.
How good has he been this season?
We have heard this story before – a player who was not a household name getting a huge move on the back of a great World Cup.
Fernandez was not even a senior international until a substitute appearance in a friendly against Honduras in September.
His first start for his country did not come until Argentina’s final World Cup group game but he started every game after that. His record in Qatar read one goal, one assist, one World Cup trophy and one young player of the tournament award.
But to call him a World Cup wonder would be a gross simplification of a player who has had a wonderful start to life in Europe.
Wolves were thought to be close to signing Fernandez in the summer but he went to Benfica instead for an initial fee of 10m euros with another 8m in potential add-ons.
Wisely, River kept the rights for 25% of his next transfer fee.
The deal was initially announced in June but it was widely thought Fernandez would only join Benfica after the Copa Libertadores, South America’s Champions League.
If River had gone all the way that would have been the end of October, meaning he would not have moved until January – and so would barely have even played for Benfica yet.
Weeks later, Velez Sarsfield did the Portuguese side a big favour and knocked out River in the last 16.
Another few weeks on and he made his Benfica debut, and scored, in a Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland. He netted again in the second leg – and has never looked back.
