New Barça-Madrid 'war'? The 'top' signing that could generate a 'battle' between both teams

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid could be on the verge of starting a new 'Clásico', but this time not on the field, but rather in the dispute over the acquisition of a 'top' player who is currently not in his best moment at his club. The player in question is Enzo Fernández, a 23-year-old Argentine midfielder who is not enjoying his best sporting moment at Chelsea.

Enzo Fernández, a world champion and Copa América winner with the 'Albiceleste', seems to be one of the most technically gifted players in the Stamford Bridge squad. However, in this 2024-25 season, he is not getting much playing time, accumulating 912 minutes of action in 15 matches played, contributing five assists to his team.

Now, Enzo Fernández's absence from the Chelsea starting XI does not seem to be due to sporting reasons, as the qualities of the Buenos Aires native are not in question, but rather to the preference of the team's coach, Enzo Maresca, who is prioritizing a midfield area with more strength, muscle, and physical presence. Based on this premise, he has been opting to form his usual 4-2-3-1 double pivot with Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia, relegating the Argentine to a more secondary role, at least for the time being.

Enzo Fernández could consider leaving Chelsea next summer

In this regard, as reported by the English media 'The Sun', Enzo Fernández is said to be considering new opportunities for the upcoming season, and both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid see him as an attractive market target. In this context, it is argued that Real Madrid might see him as a possible ideal replacement for the questioned Aurélien Tchouaméni.

On the other hand, Barcelona, who had previously explored the option of signing Enzo Fernández when he played for SL Benfica, could be interested in his profile to reinforce a midfield that already has a significant number of standout assets, but with the addition of the Argentine would undoubtedly gain a quality boost.

Would the 'Blues' be open to selling Enzo Fernández?

However, this operation does not seem to be straightforward. Chelsea, despite Enzo Fernández's lack of prominence in Maresca's team and some recent off-field incidents, does not seem willing to let go of the Argentine midfielder easily. The San Martín native is under contract with the club until 2032, and the London team will likely seek a significant amount in case of a transfer, considering that they paid €121 million to bring him from SL Benfica at one point.

With this in mind, it is likely that the 'Blues' will look to recoup a sum close to that amount, valuing the quality of Enzo Fernández when he is at his best, which could complicate negotiations with other teams.

Also, if Chelsea is not entirely decided on selling Enzo Fernández, a scenario that doesn't seem far-fetched, according to the statements of coach Enzo Maresca: "I still trust Enzo Fernández, I have no reason to lose confidence in him. He will surely play many games", it is not entirely unlikely that the London team may be willing to loan out the Argentine, opening the door to a possible early exit for the midfielder from Stamford Bridge.