Liverpool, Chelsea named in race to sign £43m Benfica midfield talent after Barcelona botched bargain deal

Liverpool and Chelsea have both been named in the race to sign a Benfica midfield sensation who Barcelona could previously have landed on the cheap.

Highly-rated Benfica star Enzo Fernandez continues to be linked with top European clubs after performing at a high level for the Portuguese giants this season.

And now a report from Sport claims the two Premier League sides are firmly in the race for the player.

The Catalan outlet also details how Barcelona had the chance to sign Fernandez for a small fee from River Plate.

Sport states that Barca hesitated about a potential deal. And that allowed Benfica to step in and snatch the 21-year-old for just £8.7m over the summer.

Barcelona are still monitoring the player’s progress with a view to a future transfer. However, Fernandez’s value has now risen to around £43m.

At this stage, it’s unclear if Benfica are looking at a quick sale. But Portuguese media have reported on Jurgen Klopp’s interest, which appears to suggest that a potential deal could happen.

Klopp looking to reinvent Liverpool midfield 

Reds boss Klopp will be looking to revamp his midfield next summer. Indeed, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Thiago are all the wrong side of 30 and Fabinho is approaching his 29th birthday.

That’s been an area of the pitch that has been problematic for Liverpool in their poor start to the season.

Napoli star Stanislav Lobotka is another player on their radar, although Chelsea are keen on the player too.

Graham Potter’s men are in a similar position to Liverpool with regards their own midfield.

The injury-prone N’Golo Kante is being strongly tipped to quit Stamford Bridge in 2023, while Jorginho continues to be linked with Barcelona.

Fernandez a cheaper Bellingham alternative

As for Fernandez, he is described as a cheaper alternative to the pricey Jude Bellingham.

Klopp is a huge fan of the England international but a proposed fee of over £100m continues to be problematic.

And even though Fernandez has a release clause of £107.3m (€120m), that figure is purely there to put off interested suitors.

In fact, a figure around half that fee could be enough to tempt Benfica to sell.

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