Enzo Fernandez speaks out on Chelsea exit talk and Barcelona links

Enzo Fernandez has insisted there was no truth to reports linking him with a move away from Chelsea.

A report claimed Fernandez had grown frustrated with Chelsea’s struggles and was keen to leave the club, before a second outlet alleged that the World Cup winner had offered his services to Barcelona in a desperate attempt to leave Stamford Bridge.

Fernandez’s agent publicly rubbished the rumours both before and after Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the FA Cup, in which the 23-year-old celebrated his glorious goal with an emphatic display of his commitment to the Blues.

After finding the back of the net again in Monday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace, Fernandez took the chance to end the speculation once and for all.

“I don’t want to leave Chelsea,” he told ESPN. “I’m feeling very good here with my teammates and the coaching staff and have done since the day I arrived.

“The people at the club are treating me very well and I’m grateful for that. I will continue here for as long as they want me to. I don’t know where those rumours came from, but I totally deny them.”

Fernandez showed fans he is focused on Chelsea / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Mauricio Pochettino’s use of Fernandez has proven divisive among Chelsea fans, with many believing the boss has failed to make the most of his fellow Argentine this season by playing him too far forward.

However, Fernandez now appears to be hitting a rich vein of form in front of goal, bagging three so far 2024 to take his tally for the season to seven in all competitions.

Fernandez remains under contract with Chelsea until 2031, six months after what will be his 30th birthday, so any exit from Stamford Bridge was always likely to be unlikely just 12 months into his career with the Blues.

Instead, it’s entirely possible that he’ll be one of the cornerstone pieces of Chelsea’s midfield moving forwards, with the club intent on eventually getting back into the mix as not only a Premier League title contender but also as a Champions League favourite.