The Fulham Road derby will be upon us this Boxing Day, and ahead of this Enzo Fernandez provided a very revealing interview to ESPN. While he’s far from the only one, Enzo Fernandez, simply put, did not live up to his price tag last season at Chelsea FC. One of the first big budget deals of the Todd Boehly era (i.e. extreme over-spending) he came over on a €121m ($126m) deal from Benfica on Winter transfer deadline day, 2023.
It made him the most expensive player in Premier League history. While his first six months at the club went well, Fernandez battled injury, and also a drop in form during the 2023-24 season.
Boxing Day FYIs
Chelsea FC vs Fulham FYIs
Kickoff: Thurs. Dec. 26, 3pm, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
PL Position, Form: Chelsea 2nd, 35 pts, WWWWD Fulham FC 9th, 24 pts, DWDDD
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 65% Draw 19% Fulham FC 16%
Enzo claims the pressure that came along with that record-breaking transfer fee didn’t get to him.
“It didn’t affect me,” he said in an exclusive with ESPN. “I tried to take it responsibly, with enjoyment, without pressure. I was not satisfied with what I had been showing, then I got injured, many adverse things happened, I tried to move forward but today I feel very good, as does the team and we hope to continue on this path.”
The midfield maestro believes that the other Enzo, Maresca, the Blues boss in his first year at the club, has helped him develop along this season.
Chelsea FC Starting XI Prediction vs Fulham
Robert Sanchez; Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho; Christopher Nkunku
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.