Scouting Report: Enzo Fernández
Sometimes, the World Cup shines a light on a talent you’ve never heard of before.
On other occasions it underlines the quality of a player already widely rated.
Enzo Fernández is the latter. The 21-year-old Argentine has been carefully watched by the European elite for some time now and proved just how good he is in Qatar.
Fernández played his way into Lionel Scaloni’s starting lineup and quickly became indispensable – going on to win the award for the Best Young Player of the Tournament.
The anchorman
Fernández sat at the base of midfield with Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister either side of him.
He won 36 defensive duels in 646 minutes of football throughout the World Cup – four more than any of his teammates. The Benfica midfielder also won 22 interceptions and 11 aerial duels.
Additionally, Fernández was crucial for the Albiceleste in possession. He completed 416 passes (89.85% accuracy) – more than any of his teammates aside from Nicolas Otamendi (510) and De Paul (449).
Biding his time
Despite his statistical dominance, Fernández didn’t begin the World Cup as a starter.
Scaloni’s midfield in Argentina’s opening defeat to Saudi Arabia saw Leandro Paredes and De Paul operate as the two central midfielders – flanked by Ángel Di María and Papu Gómez.
He did not start the second game of the group phase either. Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Mexico saw Guido Rodríguez partner De Paul, with Di María and Mac Allister out wide.
But Fernández came on and scored Argentina’s second goal in that win – and from that point on, he was undroppable.
Earning the elite’s attention
Unsurprisingly, Fernández’s impressive performances for the Albiceleste have attracted the attention of the elite. One club strongly linked with him have been Premier League giants Liverpool.
Pep Lijnders, the Reds’ assistant manager, recently admitted that he has been taken by the Argentine.
He said: “The context of a knockout tournament over a short period of time is completely different to the Premier League over a long period of time.
“This is what I liked about Argentina – they played to their strengths. Rodrigo De Paul was like a sweeper behind [Lionel] Messi – and then Enzo and Mac Allister and how they managed the midfield together.
“Messi, we don’t even need to speak about – he was the start of many attacks with Enzo, of course.”
Taking the next step
Fernández only joined Benfica from River Plate in the summer – but he may already be ready to move on.
Born in San Martín in Buenos Aires, he took his first steps in football with Club La Recova before joining River at the age of just five. He broke into their first team in 2019.
A loan spell with Defensa y Justicia in 2020-21 helped him display his talents and earn him a prominent role under Marcelo Gallardo upon his return to Estadio Monumental. Soon afterwards, he joined Benfica.
And Fernández has thrived in Lisbon – he has won 49 defensive duels in 1,099 minutes of Primeira Liga football, as well as 33 interceptions and 10 aerial duels.
On the ball, the 21-year-old has completed 1,061 passes (90.37% accuracy) – more than any of his club teammates. 164 of those were funnelled into the final third and 88 were long balls.
Bound for the Premier League?
Fernández’s release clause at Benfica is understood to be north of £100m – if that was triggered, it would mean the Portuguese club will have sold him on for 10 times what they paid after just six months.
The player’s age – and the fact that he has a contract in place until 2027 – puts the Eagles in a strong negotiating position.
And there are quite a few potential suitors. Recent reports indicate that the Premier League is his most likely destination – with Liverpool and Manchester City the two favoured destinations. Chelsea are rumoured to be seriously interested too.
The former appear to be the favourites. They are in dire need of a midfield revamp and view Fernández – alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham – as an outstanding candidate.
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