Arsenal are monitoring Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, according to reports.
If a deal were to materialise, it would be the latest in a long line of transfers from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates under Mikel Arteta.
Caught Offside report that Arsenal are keeping tabs on the Chelsea midfielder’s situation, though Arteta’s primary midfield target is understood to be Sandro Tonali.
Fernandez has contributed 22 goals and assists this season and has attracted interest from Manchester City, Real Madrid and now Arsenal.
Chelsea are expected to demand in excess of £100 million for a player contracted until 2032, making any deal hugely complex.
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Does Enzo Fernandez actually make sense for Arsenal?
It’s worth looking at Arsenal’s midfield picture heading into the summer.
Christian Norgaard is expected to depart. Martin Zubimendi started the season impressively but his form dipped, largely due to the sheer volume of minutes he was asked to play.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has emerged as a genuine quality option in central midfield, and Mikel Merino is fully fit again after his injury nightmare.
On paper, the options are there. But Arteta appears to want to safeguard the position, and Fernandez’s quality is undeniable.
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Kai Havertz has previously spoken warmly about Fernandez, describing the Argentine’s passing as “perfect” during their time together at Chelsea.
The two clearly have a natural understanding, which would bode well for any potential partnership at Arsenal.
The concern is the fee. At £100m-plus for a player who might not even be a guaranteed starter, the value proposition is questionable at best.
Arsenal have shown they can be shrewd in the market, but this would be a massive gamble, and would make little sense at this moment.
Real Madrid’s interest and Fernandez’s own desire to play at the Bernabeu may ultimately settle the matter anyway.
Arsenal’s Chelsea transfer habit under Mikel Arteta
Of course, it would not be the first time Arsenal have looked across London for talent under Mikel Arteta.
The Arsenal manager has signed Willian, Jorginho, Havertz, Raheem Sterling, Kepa and Noni Madueke from Chelsea during his tenure, with varying degrees of success.
Havertz and Jorginho both undoubtedly worked out, the former now a Premier League champion and Champions League finalist.
Willian and Sterling were disasters, albeit low-cost ones, while the jury remains out on Madueke.
Fernandez, at over £100 million, would be in a different financial category entirely, and the stakes of getting it wrong would be considerably higher.
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