World Cup Best Young Player winner at 21 — the most expensive British transfer ever.
Enzo Julián Fernández was born in San Martín, Buenos Aires in 2001. River Plate developed him before Benfica paid £10 million and Chelsea paid £106.8 million in January 2023 — the most expensive transfer in British football history and the most expensive winter transfer in Premier League history. He won the World Cup Best Young Player award in 2022 — performing beyond his years at 21 in Argentina's triumph. He won the Copa América in 2024. His combination of pressing intensity, box-to-box energy and long-range shooting made him one of the most complete young midfielders in world football. Chelsea's £106.8 million investment faced scrutiny during a mixed first full season — though his performances individually were often excellent within a chaotic squad. He was involved in a controversy in June 2024 when footage of him and teammates singing a racist chant about the French national team was published, for which he publicly apologised. He is named after Enzo Francescoli — the Uruguayan idol of Diego Maradona.
World Cup (2022)
Career Honours
- World Cup (2022)
- Copa América (2024)
- Champions League finalist (2023 loan)