Former Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips reckons Enzo Fernandez will be keen to remain at Stamford Bridge this summer, but will need reassurance that the club is heading in the right direction. Fernandez has been persistently linked with a departure from Chelsea throughout the season, with comments about a potential switch to Real Madrid doing little to dampen the rumours.
The Argentine international was handed a club ban after admitting he wasn’t sure whether he’d still be at the club next season, before revealing he’d love to live in Madrid. His agent Javier Pastore subsequently apologised, insisting Fernandez did ‘not understand the situation’ and that ‘he doesn’t mention any club or say he wants to leave Chelsea, far from it.’
Xabi Alonso’s arrival at Stamford Bridge as manager, rather than head coach, suggests the incoming boss will be afforded greater authority at the club, particularly in the transfer market, and faces a significant call on the Argentine’s future with Manchester City also keen on a move.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
“I think Xabi Alonso is a fantastic manager,” Wright-Phillips told Betway. “Of course he wasn’t given a lot of time at Real Madrid, and he had a lot of difficult people to deal with while he was there.
“But the way it seems to me is that Chelsea are going to give him the run of the club in terms of what transfers are coming in and having a say in it.”
“I think that could be the thing that helps players stay, as he can now use that as a persuasive tool to keep people at the club.”
“Players like Enzo, Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and even the likes of Cucurella or Reece James will want to stay at that club, but they want to know the club’s stable and moving forward at the same time.”
View 2 ImagesChelsea’s Enzo Fernandez has previously spoken about his future at Stamford Bridge(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“I think Xabi coming into Chelsea will stabilise that,” Wright-Phillips said. “But I honestly don’t think he’s [Enzo] somebody City will go for because they have enough midfielders to play that role.”
“They have Nico Gonzalez, obviously Rodri is there, Phil Foden and Nico O’Reilly who can easily play there. So they have enough players to play that number eight role.”
Reports suggest Chelsea would sanction Fernandez’s departure should a £120m offer land on their desk this summer, though the midfielder remains firmly within Alonso’s plans for the upcoming campaign.
After being appointed as new Blues boss, Alonso said: “Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.
“There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honour to lead it. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.”
Article continues below
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV packageThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£44SkyGet the deal here
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.