Chelsea Transfers

[Fernando 6,733]

Benfica angry with ‘disrespectful’ Chelsea over Enzo Fernández pursuit

Chelsea have been accused by Benfica’s manager, Roger Schmidt, of “disrespectful” behaviour in their pursuit of Enzo Fernández. Schmidt said the Premier League club had unsettled the Argentina midfielder and changed the basis of discussions.

Chelsea, who on Thursday confirmed the signing of the defender Benoît Badiashile from Monaco for €38m (£33.6m), have made Fernández a priority target. There have been days of talks and Fernández has told Benfica he does not want to play for them again but Schmidt insisted a deal was possible only if Chelsea paid the World Cup winner’s release clause, understood to be €120m.

 

“There’s a club who want our player,” Schmidt said. “They know we don’t want to sell the player. They try to get the player on their side and they know that they only can get this player when they pay the clause. So it’s a very clear situation. What the club is doing who want to buy Enzo is disrespectful against all of us – against Benfica – and I cannot accept what they are doing.

“So to make the player crazy and then to pretend they can pay the clause and later they want to negotiate, I think it’s not what I understand about a good relationship between clubs who maybe want to discuss about the player.”

Fernández has angered Benfica by returning to Argentina without their permission as he pushes for the move. Benfica would like to keep the 21-year-old until the summer and Chelsea maintain they do not want to overpay and will walk away if a deal cannot be agreed.

Lavish spending under the co-owner Todd Boehly continued with Badiashile signing on a seven-and-a-half-year deal. He is the third centre-half bought since the end of last season, after Kalidou Koulibaly and the injured Wesley Fofana.

Badiashile is Chelsea’s second January acquisition, after the striker David Datro Fofana. The club are also interested in the Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk but the Ukrainian’s preference is to join Arsenal.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jan/05/benfica-Chelsea-disrespectful-enzo-fernandez-benoit-badiashile

[Fernando 6,733]

Chelsea paid the Serie A club £97.5m for Lukaku in August 2021.

106 million for Enzo is close to what we paid for Lukaku. 

I say do it! 

[OneMoSalah 9,108]

44 minutes ago, bijitaq said:

First of all you are not well informed about our transfer history at all. Secondly we don't need to sell our best players in the January window. We are not owned by an american billionaire like Chelsea but our finances are solid. The player has signed a contract until 2027, so we have all the leverage in the world. Just making into the group stages of the champions league is worth 50M euros for us, so there you go, why would we let one of our best players and a crucial player for our style of play and risk ruining the rest of the season for a "good deal", makes no sense. The world doesn't revolve around your club.  

Have to admit, it doesn’t make sense for you to sell him mid season for less than his release clause. I mean there is the sell on fee percentage River Plate are also due as well which people don’t tend to remember. 

This is what I didn't understand - why people thought you’d be willing to deal with us for a discounted price at all, or even a structured deal cause theres still half a season to play and CL for you guys. Can’t remember the last time you guys sold a high value players/prospect on the cheap. 

Even the likes of Oblak who played 26 games cost Atletico €16m, Bernando Silva who played 3 games for your first team cost Monaco €16m, Joao Felix was his €100m + release clause, Nunez was a big fee, Di Maria, Coentrao, even Matic all those years ago €25m, David Luiz €25m… throw in others like Renato Sanches, Joao Cancelo amongst others more recently too.

And some of those deals were a lot of years ago so take in inflation and market prices now.

Portuguese teams always hard to deal with. Because a lot of the time traditionally Porto and Benfica use the model of buy cheap, develop and sell high to top European clubs whilst also maintain domestic success. 

[bijitaq 9]

46 minutes ago, Vegetable said:

Don't really understand what are You trying to prove - I am just as informed as Transfermarkt is, don't know any more credible source. As I said, I have zero problem with Benfica not willing to sell nor any other business decisions they make. Actually, I'd say I'm highly skeptical of paying more than his 55 milion TM valuation and has zero problem with deal being off, the only problem I have is people getting riled up here, because our board is reluctant to throw 130 million (which is like 1/3 of his entire team's valuation) for a player with zero track record in European top football, as my memory lasts longer than 14 days and I've seen tens of transfers of wonderkids, exceling for a season in their home clubs, including such transfers done by Chelsea, and I know it ends with nothing good more often, than not. If the deal can't be secured on reasonable terms, too bad.

130M is also 1/6 of your full team valuation on TM. So what does that even matter? The seller sets the price. No one is "mugging" Chelsea or taking advantage of Chelsea. The only people that were not up to board on this entire situation were the Chelsea representatives. They knew the conditions coming in and tried to put pressure on us through the player and his agent. You seem to take it personally that we said no to you. Just because your owner is a billionaire it doesn'tmake you entitled to get every player you want for the price you want. You may be poorer but we also have the right to do whats best for our club. 

[bijitaq 9]

12 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Have to admit, it doesn’t make sense for you to sell him mid season for less than his release clause. I mean there is the sell on fee percentage River Plate are also due as well which people don’t tend to remember. 

This is what I didn't understand - why people thought you’d be willing to deal with us for a discounted price at all, or even a structured deal cause theres still half a season to play and CL for you guys. Can’t remember the last time you guys sold a high value players/prospect on the cheap. 

Even the likes of Oblak who played 26 games cost Atletico €16m, Bernando Silva who played 3 games for your first team cost Monaco €16m, Joao Felix was his €100m + release clause, Nunez was a big fee, Di Maria, Coentrao, even Matic all those years ago €25m, David Luiz €25m… throw in others like Renato Sanches, Joao Cancelo amongst others more recently too.

And some of those deals were a lot of years ago so take in inflation and market prices now.

Portuguese teams always hard to deal with. Because a lot of the time traditionally Porto and Benfica use the model of buy cheap, develop and sell high to top European clubs whilst also maintain domestic success. 

Thank you. That's exactly it. Benfica last president always put our success on the pitch second to making big sales and because of that even though we are the richest club in Portugal we haven't won a single trophy in more than 3 years. Rui Costa took the job about a year ago and he promissed that the club number one priority from then on would be to win silverware. We are not cheating or playing hardball with anyone. The plan was to buy a couple more players in January and really make a push for the title and try to make it as far as possible in the champions league. We really don't want to sell. Rui Costa even offered to pay Enzo a few more million euros so he would stay until the end of the season. Only when Enzo refused and stated that he really wanted to go did Rui Costa agreed to negotiate a payment structure, thats it, selling him for under the value of the release clause was never an option. I feel bad for Enzo, because he seems like a good kid, but when you wave tens of millions in front of him anyone would be tempted. I believe that if he stays he'll get some pushback from the fans but in the long run we will forgive him and support him because he's a baller.

[Fernando 6,733]

1 minute ago, bijitaq said:

Thank you. That's exactly it. Benfica last president always put our success on the pitch second to making big sales and because of that even though we are the richest club in Portugal we haven't won a single trophy in more than 3 years. Rui Costa took the job about a year ago and he promissed that the club number one priority from then on would be to win silverware. We are not cheating or playing hardball with anyone. The plan was to buy a couple more players in January and really make a push for the title and try to make it as far as possible in the champions league. We really don't want to sell. Rui Costa even offered to pay Enzo a few more million euros so he would stay until the end of the season. Only when Enzo refused and stated that he really wanted to go did Rui Costa agreed to negotiate a payment structure, thats it, selling him for under the value of the release clause was never an option. I feel bad for Enzo, because he seems like a good kid, but when you wave tens of millions in front of him anyone would be tempted. I believe that if he stays he'll get some pushback from the fans but in the long run we will forgive him and support him because he's a baller.

Last time we dealt you guys got Matic and then we end up buying back for a higher price. 

Would have been great to take advantage and get some player from us on the cheap. I think if you ask for Gallagher I'm sure we would cave in and send him over to Benfica. 

[Vegetable 830]

I do support our new ownership, but if I only find out they've used profanities in the meeting room and missed the church on sunday, I'm out!

Like seriously, this is getting straight ridiculous, when our own fans are fuming with the board because they dare to negotiate instead of shutting up and stuffing truckloads of cash into whoever's demands mouth 😆

If all this twitter drama is clickbait, than our board is a fool for not having a PR team in place. If it's deliberate leak by Benfica, then the sole asspain is worth this whole ordeal.

33 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

This is what I didn't understand - why people thought you’d be willing to deal with us for a discounted price at all, or even a structured deal cause theres still half a season to play and CL for you guys.

Can only speak for myself, but I'd say because it's insanity to pay 127 million Euro for an unproven player who played 8 decent WC games, and in six months time can be worth twice the current price or 1/5th of it. I see Havertz, Pepe, Werner, Zyiech, Sancho, Ndombele and bunch of more taught fans nothing.

21 minutes ago, bijitaq said:

130M is also 1/6 of your full team valuation on TM. So what does that even matter?

It does - it only shows how far away from the realm of reasonability this sum is.

I'm not really sure if You are replying directly to me, as my opinion seem to be opposite of what most of people here think, but anyway. Again, Benfica is a club that needs to flip players, like 99% of clubs and I see zero offence in this. It's Benfica's right to put up ridiculous pricetag on players, Boehly's right to take it with a smile and offer what he sees more fit and Benfica's right again to take it or decline and again I see no drama in it. Don't get what's the whole "disrespect", big club, small club emotionality is about - that's how transfer market work. Benfica would be fools not to try to capitalize on current situation, but Boehly would be just as foolish and desperate to fall for it.

For one final time, I just can't get why people went absolute apeshit for a player they didn't know existed two months ago and demand to overpay few times for him, especially given there is no Madrid, City and PSG in line, just two sides of negotiation. He does great for Benfica, but for any other club he is a total gamble.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Vegetable

[Mhsc 1,146]

Everyone losing their mind because of some rumours spread by a bunch of people that don't know fucking anything about what is actually being discussed. Probably half of the senior leadership of the clubs don't even know what is actually being discussed, never mind the fucking random cunts from Twitter. We might find out when it is all over what the real version of events was but for now it is all speculation. The guy that leaked that there is a "written document" is also a total nobody that is trying to create a name for himself and plug his youtube channel ffs.

[lluubbeenn 188]

We completely fu**ed Benfica. If they sell it will be below 100m and if they don’t I expect the environment in the camp will be bad. I would place a bet on them loosing both the league and the last16 tie.

 

Hope karma isn’t a thing lol

[Vegetable 830]

4 minutes ago, Mhsc said:

Everyone losing their mind because of some rumours spread by a bunch of people that don't know fucking anything about what is actually being discussed. Probably half of the senior leadership of the clubs don't even know what is actually being discussed, never mind the fucking random cunts from Twitter. We might find out when it is all over what the real version of events was but for now it is all speculation. The guy that leaked that there is a "written document" is also a total nobody that is trying to create a name for himself and plug his youtube channel ffs.

Apparently they are holding the talks on the main square in Lisboa and provide live coverage to all interested 16 years old journalists on Twitter, just like every football transfer works.

To add, both sides are so "mad" and "disrespected" they will finish off with a gun duel on the same square in two days.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Vegetable

[bijitaq 9]

12 minutes ago, Vegetable said:

I'm not really sure if You are replying directly to me, as my opinion seem to be opposite of what most of people here think, but anyway. Again, Benfica is a club that needs to flip players, like 99% of clubs and I see zero offence in this. It's Benfica's right to put up ridiculous pricetag on players, Boehly's right to take it with a smile and offer what he sees more fit and Benfica's right again to take it or decline and again I see no drama in it. Don't get what's the whole "disrespect", big club, small club emotionality is about - that's how transfer market work. Benfica would be fools not to try to capitalize on current situation, but Boehly would be just as foolish and desperate to fall for it.

For one final time, I just can't get why people went absolute apeshit for a player they didn't know existed two months ago and demand to overpay few times for him, especially given there is no Madrid, City and PSG in line, just two sides of negotiation. He does great for Benfica, but for any other club he is a total gamble.

That's where we differ. I don't think that's how transfer market work. I don't think it's normal behavior to say to the seller that you will meet the asking price and then after negotiating with the player to low ball an offer and use the player and his agent to pressure us to sell cheaper than initially agreed. Also, if Enzo finishes the season the way he started many clubs will come to the table for him. You talk about him like he's some fringe player that Chelsea found out and has no interest from anywhere else in the market. Lot's of clubs asked about him already but when they heard we weren't selling bellow the 120M release clause they did the right thing and pulled out. Strange that "this is how the market works" but Chelsea was the only club acting poorly in this situation.    

[bijitaq 9]

24 minutes ago, Fernando said:

Last time we dealt you guys got Matic and then we end up buying back for a higher price. 

Would have been great to take advantage and get some player from us on the cheap. I think if you ask for Gallagher I'm sure we would cave in and send him over to Benfica. 

That could make sense but it's now a matter of principle. If you ask 100 Benfica fans right now if we should sell one cent bellow the release clause price tag 99 will say not to sell. I can see us in the summer window being open to that kind of a transfer, also because 25% of the money of the sale will go to River Plate, so including a player or two wouldn't be bad for us. 

[ulsterchelsea 3,221]

3 hours ago, TheHulk said:

Hopefully we see more of this tonight, had enough of this shit since the summer. 

If this happens tonight I'll give a bollock. No ones protesting over a transfer 

[Vegetable 830]

10 minutes ago, bijitaq said:

That's where we differ.

Respect to disagree 

11 minutes ago, bijitaq said:

 I don't think it's normal behavior to say to the seller that you will meet the asking price and then after negotiating with the player to low ball an offer and use the player and his agent to pressure us to sell cheaper than initially agreed. 

Are we even sure this is what happened? There were reports of him being offered pay rise he declined like 4 days before being supposedly done deal and even when it supposedly collapsed for the first time it was reported "Collapsed, but Benfica still open for a new offer" so only thing I know is english-speaking sources know shit and as much as Benfica has right to pull out, Boehly also had right to change his mind and come up with more reasonable offer, take it or leave it

14 minutes ago, bijitaq said:

Also, if Enzo finishes the season the way he started many clubs will come to the table for him. You talk about him like he's some fringe player that Chelsea found out and has no interest from anywhere else in the market. Lot's of clubs asked about him already but when they heard we weren't selling bellow the 120M release clause they did the right thing and pulled out.

100% agree on this, but that's what business risk is. Take lower prize or gamble and win or lose. A lot can happen in half of season. I'm mainly concerned because PSG, Real and so on are doing better business than us and if they were 100% sold on him, they would go for him now. If they decide to gamble and wait, they have a reason or different approach to risk assessment. And actually yes, I see him as a fringe player. If I knew he can deliver season to season in top 4 league, I'd have a completely different approach.

You don't always get what you want, either cash or players, that's life in all it's glory

[Vegetable 830]

Dunno, but I always thought point of buying wonderkids is because they are rough but promising you get them young and reasonably priced.

If we have 130 mil to burn painlessly and expect immediate effect, maybe it's better to take a part of this sum and call De Bruyne whether he didn't left anything in the locker room at Cobham? 

[bijitaq 9]

5 minutes ago, Vegetable said:

Respect to disagree 

And actually yes, I see him as a fringe player. If I knew he can deliver season to season in top 4 league, I'd have a completely different approach.

You don't always get what you want, either cash or players, that's life in all it's glory

You can see him as whatever you want. All we want if he's not too much to ask is that maybe the Chelsea representatives can try not to behave like scumbags. 

[YorkshireBlue 3,346]

1 hour ago, bijitaq said:

You can see him as whatever you want. All we want if he's not too much to ask is that maybe the Chelsea representatives can try not to behave like scumbags. 

Yeah because all of benficas money was made doing charity work 🤣🤣.

[milka 3,407]

 

[bijitaq 9]

31 minutes ago, YorkshireBlue said:

Yeah because all of benficas money was made doing charity work 🤣🤣.

It wasn't made from going back on our word and then manipulating a 21 year old to miss practices so the club has to sell him at a cheaper prince. Thats scumbag behavior. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by bijitaq

[TheHulk 2,650]

Have some shame at least you paid for Cucushit almost the same as you offered for Enzo, all this while we need a top midfielder, what clueless person.