Chelsea are attempting to make World Cup winning Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez the Premier League’s most expensive signing in a £105m transfer deadline day deal.
The Blues have revived their interest in the Benfica player, 21, as the end of the January transfer window, at 11pm on Tuesday, approaches.
If completed, the move would eclipse Manchester City’s 2021 £100m signing of Jack Grealish as the most expensive arrival in Premier League history.
It would also take the spending overseen by chairman Todd Boehly since his consortium acquired Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last summer past half a billion pounds.
Fernandez would be their eighth arrival this month alone as the club’s new US owners look to make the west London team more competitive.
Benfica admonished Chelsea for trying to sign the player earlier in January but he is reported to be free to leave if a club pays his release fee of €120m (£105m).
Fresh talks would appear to signal the end of the Blues’ interest in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, who is also wanted by Arsenal.
Premier League clubs have already set a new record for January spending, eclipsing the £430m invested in the 2018 winter transfer, before the frantic dealing of deadline day according to Deloitte.
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